


Shelter

by divakat



Category: NCIS
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Case Fic, First Kiss, First Time, M/M, Romance, Shower Sex, Slash, Snowed In, Team Dynamics, hurt!Tony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-03-22 14:51:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 78,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3732961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/divakat/pseuds/divakat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two dead bodies in the Shenandoah mountains leave two team members trapped and later stalked by a killer with an agenda that goes much deeper than they had imagined. The team struggles to track him down before he has time to harm anyone else and Gibbs and Tony must deal with the consequences of the choices they made on the mountain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Cross posted from Fanfic.net.  
> This story is incomplete but recently updated. It will be complete in two more chapters and an epilogue. I took a break from it for almost a year to write other things but am now back at it and headed for the finish line. I'll post a chapter or two at a time as I continue to transfer fics. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!!

“Grab your gear.”

The words rang out through the bullpen as Gibbs stormed by in a rush.

Tony’s head flew up and he leapt from his chair, his body responding automatically to the words that still sent a tiny thrill of adrenaline through him even after 10 years.

“Where we headed this time?” he asked, surprised when Gibbs headed for the stairs rather than the elevator.

“Conference room.” Gibbs' voice was tight and Tony wondered just what they were in for.

“Boss?”

“You heard me, DiNozzo.”

He gazed at Tim and Ziva who both wore concerned looks he was sure mirrored his own. They shrugged at him but followed obediently up the stairs to the conference room.

As they entered, Vance glanced nervously at his watch and began speaking before they were all fully seated.

Tony watched as the large display on the wall flashed to life with, what looked like, a terrain map.

“No time for chit chat, people, we’re in a bit of a time crunch,” Vance began. “We’ve got two dead Marines in Shenandoah National Park. ID’s on the bodies indicate that our victims are Corporal Jared Gilmore and Sergeant Chris Fuller. Rangers found them this morning, here.” A large ‘x’ appeared on the map that looked to be nothing but rugged terrain. “The location is incredibly isolated, nearly 5 miles from any kind of trailhead. So far we know that our victims checked in at the Swift Run Gap Ranger station three days ago and planned to hike to a cabin on Jones Mountain, here.” Another mark appeared not far from the indicated location of the victims.

“So we need our hiking boots for this one? Better bring your cub scout compass McGee,” Tony quipped. His chuckle was quickly stifled by a harsh look from Gibbs.

“This one’s not a joke DiNozzo. There’s evidence at the scene that indicates this may be hate crime related.” His lip curled in distaste.

Tony couldn’t help but notice the anger that bloomed in Gibbs’ eyes at those words or the hard set of his jaw that told him the older man was a whisper away from crushing the cup of coffee in his hands. It wasn’t like Gibbs to betray his emotions like this and Tony wondered what Vance wasn’t telling them.

The director continued his run-down and Tony turned his attention back to the screen. “Fuller was scheduled to receive a commendation for his service in Afghanistan and there’s been a lot of local publicity. This isn’t something the corps wants reaching the ears of the public so I can’t stress how important your silence is on this case.” He looked around the room and took a moment to meet the eyes of each agent.

“The terrain is going to make removal of the bodies incredibly difficult. The area is heavily wooded and it would take hours to carry even one victim out.” Vance glanced at Gibbs.

“Compounding the problem is the weather. There’s a strong front moving in that is going to bring high winds and possibly heavy snows up at those elevations within the next several hours so we have to move fast to avoid losing our crime scene. Hiking in and out is totally out of the question so we have choppers ready to fly your team up to a bald that is about a mile from the scene. It’s the best we can do.” He glanced over at Palmer.

“I’ve discussed the situation with Dr. Mallard and we’ve both agreed that with the difficulty of the hike, you’re the best person to process the bodies at the scene, Mr. Palmer.”

Tony couldn’t help but be warmed by the way Palmer’s eyes lit up at the idea of working the scene on his own. He really hoped the kid wasn’t going to cry.

“Once you’ve made it to the scene you’ll need to gather any evidence as quickly as possible and start your hike back to the drop off point. The chopper will drop a basket to bring up the bodies and then transport them here while another will meet you back at the rendezvous. You’ll have a Ranger guiding you to the scene and we’re issuing each one of you survival gear just in case. Any questions?” He glanced around the room at the agents who all shook their heads.

“Good, let’s get going then. There isn’t a minute to lose.”

They filed out quickly, following Gibbs as they headed to lockers to retrieve cold weather gear and hiking boots and then to supply to add survival gear to their packs. Each kit included MRE’s, first aid supplies, iodine for water purification and a headlamp in addition to some other miscellaneous items. Ziva met his eyes as she zipped up her pack and he could see worry etched plainly across her features.

“These are just a precaution, Ziva,” he tried to keep his voice light.

“Gibbs is worried.”

“Gibbs is always worried when Marines are involved.” He knew it wasn’t a convincing argument.

“This is different, Tony. Do not try to tell me I am wrong,” she said defiantly.

He finished closing his own bag. “You’re not wrong.” He squeezed her shoulder gently as he passed. “Let’s get this over with.”

* * *

 

Tony watched the ground fly by beneath him through the small window in the chopper. The roads and buildings of DC quickly gave way to fields and suburbs and then the weathered rocky peaks of the Shenandoah. They flew low over the tree line and he could see stony outcrops and miles and miles of forest spreading out in every direction. He shuddered at the thought of just how isolated they would be after they were dropped off.

He’d hiked some of the trails out here before but mostly just on quick day trips from easily accessible trailheads. A former lover had once talked him into a weekend hike on the AT near the south end of the park and it had ended with Tony having blisters the size of baseballs on his feet and the two of them never speaking again. In general, he found it better to keep his feet planted firmly on the concrete.

He turned his attention to Gibbs who sat directly across from him. The older man had his eyes closed and appeared relaxed, but the tiny quiver of the muscles in his jaw told Tony that there was something on his mind he wasn’t ready to share. As if he felt the weight of his gaze, Gibbs opened his eyes and regarded Tony across the small space. He may have been mistaken but the younger agent thought he saw that steely blue soften just a little. Part of him wished it was just the two of them and that he had a way to tell the man who meant the world to him that he would gladly share whatever burden currently had his shoulders so bent.

As if he could read Tony’s thoughts, Gibbs gave him a silent nod and then closed his eyes again.

It wasn’t difficult to spot the bald they were aiming for as it was literally the only clearing in sight. As they descended, a Park Ranger dressed in greens and browns stepped out of the cover of the trees on one side of the rocky space.

Tony held his breath as the helicopter touched down lightly on the earth and waited for the sound of the engines to die. Gibbs was out of his harness and at the door before he even had time to react and he flinched at the grim look on his boss’s face.

One by one they exited the chopper, grabbing their gear, hand held radios, and the two sat phones that would be their only means of communication with the outside world. Cell phone signals in this part of the mountains weren’t just spotty, they were entirely non-existent.

The temperature difference up on the mountain was unbelievable. It had been nearly 60 degrees back in DC but already his ears and nose felt positively frigid. Tony turned up his collar against the cold and drew a deep breath into his lungs. “Smell that, Timmy? Crisp, clean, virgin air.” When he exhaled his breath hung in the air as a thin mist.

“I don’t smell anything but the exhaust from the chopper,” McGee argued.

“I do.”Gibbs had his face turned up to the sky and was studying the low hanging clouds with a stony face. “Smells like snow.”

At Gibbs’ signal they all gathered around the Ranger who had approached the landing site but maintained a watchful distance. He didn’t look much older than a kid just out of college. A shock of blond hair fell over his forehead from beneath his wide-brimmed hat and his eyes were clear blue and sharp. Tony was instantly reminded of a young Robert Redford and under different circumstances he might have enjoyed a little hike through the forest with this hot Ranger as his competent nature guide. As it was, the young man looked very ill at ease and more than a little dazed. Tony suspected he wasn’t used to finding dead Marines in his park.

Gibbs introduced himself with a tight nod.

“I’m Matt Smith. I’m the one who found the…the bodies this morning.”

“HA! Ranger Smith! Did you bring a pic-i-nic basket?” Tony snorted. He caught Gibbs glare as well as the questioning looks from his colleagues. “You know,” he attempted to explain, “because of the Yogi Bear and the…never mind. Sorry boss,” he said sheepishly.

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” the young Park Ranger flashed a grin at Tony and raked his eyes over him speculatively.

There was no ignoring the open appreciation in that gaze and Tony shifted uncomfortably hoping no one else noticed.

“What can you tell us?” Gibbs interrupted the moment.

“Oh, sorry. Well, when we got word of the storm moving in this morning we teamed up to check out some of the more isolated cabins. Generally volunteers make sure they’re stocked with wood and canned goods in case hikers get stuck up here in the winter but we knew we had people headed out this way so we made the trip ourselves. Hobbins and I…he’s waiting with the bodies…I mean victims…”He swallowed. “We came across them about a mile and a half from the cabin. Never seen anything like it.” Smith’s eyes grew distant and his face slightly green.

Gibbs laid a hand on his shoulder.

The young ranger lifted his head and continued. “Saw by their tags that they were Marines and called your office.”

“And neither of you moved the bodies?” Gibbs pressed.

Smith shook his head. “No. We knew right away it was a crime scene. Just got close enough to read their tags and then Hobbins called it in on the radio.” The haunted look had returned to his eyes. “Agent Gibbs, I’ve seen dead animals, seen a dead hiker that got trapped in a storm, even seen a bear attack once, but I’ve never seen…”

Tony felt an instant pang of sympathy. Your first gory crime scene wasn’t something you got over easily and even with years of experience there were some that haunted him still.

Gibbs shouldered his pack and gestured behind them to where a rocky trail disappeared into the woods. “According to the pilot, we’ve got about two hours to get in, process the scene and get ourselves back here. I need you to show us the way.”

* * *

 

The relatively short hike wasn’t an easy one and despite the cold, Tony was covered in a fine sheen of sweat before they’d gone half a mile. The trail ascended sharply up the mountain and was often cut by uneven shards of rock that made footing treacherous. The trees and dense undergrowth cut in very close to the trail and at times it was difficult to tell that they were, in fact, following a set path. Every few feet of so, Tony could see a bright green rectangular blaze painted onto trees close to the trail and he began counting them to distract himself from the burning in his legs and his lungs. At least the trip back would be all downhill.

He would have loved to stop and catch his breath but Gibbs set a mean pace. Ziva and Palmer kept up with ease, scrambling over the uneven ground effortlessly like a couple of squirrels. Tony and Tim lagged behind and he felt slightly better with the younger man breathing heavily at his side. He promised himself to hit the gym more often as soon as they got home.

Just as the muscles in his thighs were beginning to turn to rubber, they rounded a corner and came to a place where the ground leveled off a bit and a sign marked another trail that led to the cabin the Rangers had been heading for this morning.

An older man in the same greens and browns as Smith stepped onto the trail and greeted them.

“Glad you made it. I’m Ken Fischer.”

Gibbs shook his hand. “Special Agents Gibbs, DiNozzo, David, and McGee.” He gestured around the circle. “This is our M.E. Mr. Palmer. Sorry to cut the small talk but I’d like my agents to get started on the scene right away. Snow’s coming.”

The older Ranger nodded. “Sure is.” He glanced at the assembled group. “Guess you all are probably used to things like this. Smith and I…well, we really didn’t know what to make of it. Bodies are up there.” He gestured up into a patch of browning ferns. “Can’t miss ‘em.”

“Ziva, McGee, I want you on ground cover. Work fast. Once the snow starts we won’t get a second look. DiNozzo, you’re on the bodies. I want pictures of every detail, every angle before we have to move them.”

Tony took a moment to free his camera and gloves from his pack.

“Palmer, you’re on.” Gibbs nodded at Jimmy.

As a team they moved into the undergrowth, stepping carefully as they examined the ground beneath them. They had only gone a few feet when Tony stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly realizing exactly what had had both Gibbs and Vance noticeably shaken in the conference room.

A rounded lump of rock rose up above the undergrowth next to a large tree. Atop the rock were the naked bodies of their two Marines.

“Shit,” Tony whispered. Palmer had stopped just in front of him and was also staring at the macabre scene.

“Yeah.” Gibbs voice was strangely subdued behind him.

Willing himself into action, Tony laid a hand on Palmer’s shoulder and gently propelled the younger man forward. “Let’s get this over with and get them down,” he said quietly.

The two of them scrambled to the top of the boulder while Gibbs carefully patrolled the perimeter. Tony examined the bodies in front of him and felt bitter acid rising in his throat.

The scene was gruesome but it wasn’t the amount of blood that had his head spinning, it was the way the bodies were posed. Both victims were completely naked and lacking any ornamentation other than their dog tags. The killer or killers had used thin nylon cord to prop the victims into positions so that it appeared from a distance that they were engaged in sex. Another thin rope secured the upright body to the tree. There was a clean bullet hole through the forehead of each victim and a single word had been carved deep into the flesh around it: ‘Fag’. Whoever had done this had been a very good shot and one sick, sick puppy.

Tony moved in close and shot rapid fire pictures of the victims, the ropes, and the carving while his stomach turned over and over. He heard Palmer’s quiet voice behind him.

“In his mouth, is that..?”

“It’s a penis, yes.” Tony snapped a shot of the gruesome detail. “Keep it together, Jimmy,” he said sympathetically. No man alive could see something like that without losing his shit just a little.

“O-of course.” Palmer continued his work on the other body. “Tentative cause of death appears to be a bullet to the frontal lobe in each case. Liver temperature combined with ambient puts TOD at least…12 hours ago. With the cold I’m afraid I can’t be more specific. The ah…object in victim A’s mouth appears to be the genitalia of victim B. Lack of blood from the genital wound as well as the cuts on their foreheads indicate that both were done post mortem.”

At least it was something. Tony looked down at Gibbs who was contemplating them with an expression Tony didn’t completely recognize. He looked almost..sad.

“Let’s finish up and get these men down. This is no way for a Marine to die.” He turned away quickly.

Tony didn’t miss the tiny hitch in his boss’s voice and he stared at Gibbs’ back in astonishment. He’d never seen him affected this way by a crime scene and he wondered what made this one so personal. Yes, they were Marines and yes, the scene was gruesome and unusual, but something about the level of malevolence shown by the killer or perhaps the nature of the crime itself seemed to have particular significance.

“I’ve got boot prints, don’t match the Rangers’,” Tim shouted from a short distance away.

“I’ve got blood,” Ziva called from the other side of the clearing.

Gibbs took off immediately to check on their progress.

Tony felt something cold and wet hit the back of his neck. He swiped at the moisture and looked up in time to see other fat clumps of heavy, wet snow begin falling around them.

“Let’s move!” Gibbs called. “DiNozzo, Palmer, get those bodies down and radio the chopper for pick up. Cover em’. I don’t want to lose DNA. Leave as much of the rope intact as you can. Ziva, McGee, bag everything you can carry and photograph the rest. I want everyone out of here and headed for the rendezvous in 15 minutes. DiNozzo and I will stay behind and process for as long as we can and I’ll radio for pick up.”

Ziva and McGee raised their heads and began to protest.

“You heard me. I want everyone off this mountain who doesn’t absolutely have to be here,” Gibbs yelled. “That includes you two,” he called to the Rangers. “We can get back on our own.”

The two wisely sensed that Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was not a man to be argued with and simply nodded their heads.

The snow began to fall more thickly and the wind stirred the trees above them. He and Palmer managed to separate the bodies and lower them down gently to the ground. Getting them bagged proved a difficult task due to their rigid state but after some struggle, the gruesome feat was accomplished. He could hear the hum of the chopper’s engine as it approached and hovered directly over their location, homing in on the GPS beacon.

Once the basket had safely descended through the trees on its thick cable, it took all of them to keep it steady while the bodies were loaded and then hoisted back up. They lost valuable time but raced back to their tasks as soon as it was clear.

“Boss, I’ve got boot prints on the trail that match the ones up here. Looks like they’re heading East.” McGee pointed along the path in the opposite direction from which they had come.

Gibbs turned to the Rangers. “Where does that trail go?”

Fischer shrugged. “Loops around and connects with several others. Hits Skyline and the AT about four miles from here. If your guy had 12 hours, he could be anywhere by now.”

Gibbs looked like he wanted to howl his frustration up at the steely sky. He scanned the scene with a look of regret. “Okay, everyone but DiNozzo head out. We’ll follow as soon as we can.”

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the really annoying thing with this chapter was that when I opened the file to copy and paste it, it seems to have gotten corrupted and the last 800 words were missing. Had to completely retype. Let's hope the rest of the chapters aren't that way! Thank you and welcome to those who are reading this for the first time.

****

Tony watched as the others began to descend the steep trail back to the rendezvous site. Half of him longed to be going with them but the other half was pleased that Gibbs wanted him to stay behind. Something was on his boss’s mind and it had him worried. He’d seen the look on his face when Tim had found the probable trail of the killer leading away from the scene. Twelve hour lead or no, Gibbs had been a half a heartbeat away from taking off after him without a thought, and that was the type of reaction that got you killed.

He turned back to Gibbs who was crouched down on the ground where Ziva had found the victims’ clothing and pools of blood. It was likely the site of the shooting before the killer moved and positioned the bodies at their final location. Gibbs was scanning the tree line through the veil of falling snow.

“What ya thinking, Boss?” he moved closer but stayed out of Gibbs’ line of sight.

“Whoever did this was an excellent shot. He knew they were coming here, got here first, waited patiently for them to move into just the right position. If it was me, I’d have holed up right there.” He pointed to a small clump of evergreens about 100 yards away.

“On it, Boss.” Tony took off across the clearing. Already, the snow had completely obscured the leaves on the ground and it was only falling faster now. The heavy, wet flakes settled on his jacket and he could feel moisture seeping through his outer layers. When he reached the boughs of the trees, he had no choice but to get down on his hands and knees to examine the ground. Luckily the thick branches had kept the snow from obscuring the ground beneath and Tony was clearly able to see where the killer had lain in wait for his victims. It appeared that he had dug a shallow bed into the soil and then covered himself with needles, leaves, and branches to mimic the dense undergrowth.

“Got a sniper hole,” he called to Gibbs. “Looks like he cleaned up pretty well though. Got no brass, no trash, just a few more prints.”

“Keep looking.”

Tony crawled the entire perimeter of the small clump of trees but to no avail. Whoever their killer was, he had been very thorough. His jeans were now completely soaked and dirty and the cold air bit at his moist skin despite his layers. In this remote location, cold was dangerous, but cold and wet could be deadly. He was anxious to get off the mountain as soon as possible but Gibbs showed no signs of giving up the hunt just yet.

Making his way over to the mound of rock where their victims had been found, he saw that Gibbs had scaled the boulder and was scraping gently at the bark of the tree with his knife.

“What are we doing, Jethro?” His use of the familiar had the intended effect and Gibbs turned to look down.

“You got a problem with doing everything we have to do to catch this sick son of a bitch, DiNozzo?” he growled.

“I do when it’s obvious our crime scene is gone, when it’s obvious this guy had more than enough time to clean up after himself and knew how to do it,” he said firmly. “I do when you’re thinking with your heart instead of your head and putting our lives in danger.”

Gibbs’ eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he pushed himself off the rock and landed on his feet in front of Tony. “You think I’m too close to this?”

“I do, and I wish I knew why.” Tony held his ground beneath that angry stare.

“You telling me this doesn’t hit just a little close to home for you?” Gibbs stepped closer.

He tried to control his reaction but he knew his grimace was unmistakable. Of course Jethro knew about his other…appetites. He’d always known that he did. But never in ten years had either of them dared to even broach the subject. It was their own little version of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ The fact that he would bring it up now only spoke to the fact that he was letting his emotions get the better of him.

“You know it does, Jethro,” he said quietly. “I’m just not willing to add to the body count in order to search for questionable evidence beneath a foot of snow.” As if on cue, a gust of wind rattled the trees above them and sent icy clumps raining down on their heads and shoulders.

Gibbs' eyes softened slightly “I want this guy, Tony. This sick bastard is not going to walk free.”

He nodded, “And we’re just going to have to trust that we got everything we could here and hope that Ducky and Abby can find something to help us.” Tony hesitated a moment. “Is this about me, Gibbs?”

Something flashed briefly in the older man’s eyes that he didn’t recognize, but Jethro turned away quickly before replying. “This is about two dead Marines who didn’t deserve to die or have their bodies mutilated because of who they chose to love.”

Tony was absolutely taken aback by the sincerity of those words. He opened his mouth to respond but a thought suddenly intruded. “Gibbs, where are their packs?”

Jethro spun around quickly.

“These guys planned to be at this cabin for at least a few days according to what they told the Rangers. They wouldn’t have come up here empty handed. Nothing we’ve found indicates that we have multiple killers and we have to assume he didn’t hike out of here carrying two full packs and whatever he had with him, so where are the packs?” They both looked around the small clearing but saw no lumps beneath the snow that looked suspicious.

“Keep going,” Gibbs encouraged.

“What if our Rangers had it wrong and they weren’t on their way to the cabin but had already been there and this was just a day hike? Packs would be up at the cabin. Something they left behind might point us in a direction,” he said hopefully.

“Might not,” Gibbs said. He looked at the trail that was barely visible through the falling snow. “We go up there, we’re not getting out today. Gonna make one direction of the other, not both, not in this.” Gibbs kicked at the snow that was already up over the top of his foot.

“Rangers said there was food up there, firewood. I’ll take my chances with that rather than a blind helo ride in 50 mile per hour winds. I’m up for it if you are but we’d better decide quickly.”

Gibbs looked at him seriously and appeared to be turning something over in his mind. Finally, he nodded and reached in his pack for the Sat phone. He got Vance on the line and informed him of the change in their plan, shouting over the howling of the wind that sent icy swirls of snow lashing at their damp clothing.

“Leon, you’d be risking more lives sending the chopper back now. This is our best option.”

Obviously Vance wasn’t taking the news well.

“We will. Trust me, I have no intention of dying before I find this bastard.” Gibbs ended the call and quickly shouldered his pack. “Let’s move.”

* * *

 

The uphill climb to the cabin was more difficult than either Tony or Gibbs had anticipated. The snow concealed rocks and uneven patches that threatened to twist his ankles with each step. The going was slow and they often slid a foot backwards for every two they climbed. Visibility continued to decline and they moved carefully from tree to tree checking for blazes to make sure they were still on the trail.

Despite the exertion, Tony was shivering. Sweat and moisture from the heavy snow had combined to dampen even his inner layers of clothing and he knew he was going to be in serious trouble if they didn’t find shelter soon. Already he seemed to be stumbling more often and each time it was more and more difficult to convince his limbs to work together and push himself up.

Gibbs stopped for a moment and pulled a length of rope from his pack. He tied one end around his own waist and looped the other around Tony’s.

“Almost there, DiNozzo.”

“Tired, B-boss. Too c-cold. Just need to rest.” He wanted to stop his teeth from chattering but he didn’t seem to be able to.

“You rest, you die. And that is simply not an option for me.” He pulled Tony to his feet and they trudged on.

Tony placed one weary foot in front of the other, weaving and stumbling but always moving forward inch by agonizing inch. The rope around his waist tugged him ever onward even though he was almost completely unaware of anything else. Each step felt as if he was walking upstream against a rushing current and he focused every ounce of his energy on moving the quivering muscles of his legs through the white world around him.

He had no idea what kept him moving but even his reserves were beginning to run low. All he wanted to do was lie down and sleep, even in the snow. Suddenly the tension around his waist disappeared and he ran smack into the brick wall of Gibbs’ back before he realized why.

“Lunch break, Boss?” At least that was what he meant to say. What actually came out sounded like he was talking around a mouth full of marbles.

“We’re here.” Gibbs pointed to something large and dark perhaps 50ft away that Tony supposed could be a cabin if cabins had walls that seemed to tilt alarmingly to the side.

“Oh good,” he said, the moment before his legs finally gave out and the blackness took him.

* * *

 

Gibbs cursed as he dragged Tony up the stairs to the cabin, half at the heavy burden of his SFA’s dead weight and half at himself for underestimating the toll the weather and climb would take on both of them. In truth, he was nearly as exhausted, but he knew that the added layer of his Carhartts beneath his NCIS outerwear had kept him dryer and warmer in the heavy wet snow and howling winds.

Finally managing to haul Tony up onto the large covered porch that took up one side of the building, he was grateful to find the door unlocked. He knew getting Tony warm was a priority but as a precaution he did a quick sweep of the building before locking the door and dragging him to the floor in front of the large stone fireplace. Just being out of the wind was a relief and the air inside was slightly warmer. He immediately stripped off the younger man’s damp clothing including his boots and socks and was alarmed by just how cold and moist the skin beneath felt.

His eyes darted around the small cabin searching for anything warm he could wrap Tony in while he got the fire going. There were two frame packs leaning up against the wall in the dining area but he didn’t have time to give them a second thought at the moment. A ladder led to a sleeping loft on the second floor and he found what he assumed to be the sleeping bags of their two victims as well as a plastic bin that contained a few rough woolen blankets. Grabbing all of it, he descended the ladder carefully and moved back to the living area, quickly unzipping both bags. He laid one bag out on the floor in front of the fire and rolled DiNozzo on top of it, covering him with the second bag and topping it with the heavier blankets.

There was already a fire laid out in the fireplace and a good supply of wood along the opposite wall. He’d seen more stacked out on the porch as well. If they had to be here awhile, at least they would be warm.

The tinder was dry and caught quickly and Gibbs tossed a few more larger logs on top before putting the screen in place and turning back to Tony. He laid trembling fingers against the curve of his neck and sighed as he felt the lightly fluttering pulse beneath his icy flesh. There was no question in his mind about what had to happen next. DiNozzo’s body temperature was dangerously low and there was no better warmer than body heat.

Without a second thought, he quickly stripped off his clothes and crawled beneath the pile of blankets, pulling Tony close so that they were chest to chest and the younger man’s head rested against his shoulder. Reaching over him, he tucked the blankets around Tony's back tightly so that the two were wrapped in a snug cocoon.

Gibbs had been so focused on getting Tony inside and warm that he’d managed to push aside his own exhaustion with a last surge of life-saving adrenaline. Now that he had done everything he could for the moment, an all consuming bone-deep weariness settled over him and it was all he could do to keep his eyes open for a few moments to make sure the fire had well and truly caught.

Even though his body was worn out, it took his mind some time to settle down and in those last few moments of consciousness, he contemplated the ramifications of waking naked with his equally unclothed SFA cradled in his arms. He told himself that there was no choice, that it was simply a matter of survival, but he had to admit that a tiny part of him was curious, perhaps even eager to find out how they would both handle being thrown into a scenario that forced a conversation which had been far too long in coming.

He’d been aware of the more indiscriminate side of Tony’s sexuality from the very beginning. He also knew that Tony was aware of that knowledge and for most of their ten year working relationship that arrangement had worked just fine.

As Tony had grown and matured, confronted his own demons, and proved himself over and over again to be the man Gibbs had always known lay hidden beneath all his many layers of bullshit, Jethro had noticed other changes as well. Tony’s womanizing ways seemed to be a thing of the past. Oh sure, he still made a pass at any half attractive woman in a skirt, but the intent just wasn’t there. He also knew that Tony had all but ceased his occasional weekend forays into DC’s boystown district to look for other forms of entertainment. 

In the last year Tony’s trips to his basement had increased in frequency and length and they’d spent many hours in companionable silence, sipping bourbon while the younger man watched him work.

He would have to have been totally oblivious to ignore the way Tony’s eyes followed him around the room, the way his body stiffened when Gibbs moved in close to show him how to work with a particular tool, or the way he always looked right on the verge of turning back around as he walked up the stairs each night.

What really had Jethro's head screwed on backwards lately was that in the last few months, the pangs of regret he felt each time he heard the front door close upstairs with Tony’s exit had only intensified. There were feelings there, real feelings that transcended friendship or even fraternal love. They were feelings he had absolutely no comfort level with and damned if he wasn’t utterly clueless on how to confront them in a way that left the working parts of their relationship in good working order. He’d foolishly hoped that somehow Tony would come to his senses and they could go on just as they always had. Lonely, yes, but in a way that worked for both of them.

Now, for better or for worse, fate and the actions of at least one psychopath had endangered both of their lives and thrust them into a situation where avoidance was no longer an option. He sighed and pulled Tony a little tighter against him, pressing his lips to damp hair. Jethro was beginning to drift. The heat from the fireplace had already warmed the room significantly and Gibbs thought Tony’s skin felt slightly less clammy. He ran his hand tentatively over the smooth expanse of the younger man’s back and pulled him a little deeper into the crook of his arm, reassured by the strong, steady heartbeat that echoed his own.

Tony had been right about one thing. From the moment Gibbs had first heard the grisly details of the crime scene from Vance, the image of Tony’s face, brutally cut and slashed, had hung before his eyes. This one was most certainly personal.

* * *

 

Abby vaulted off of Tony’s desk the moment the elevator dinged. As the doors slid open, she threw her arms around a weary McGee, who happened to be the first person to exit, and then doled out affections to Palmer and Ziva in turn. Her face fell when she realized that part of her team was not present.

“Gibbs, Tony, where are they?” she asked insistently.

“They stayed to work the scene but the chopper was going back for them,” Ziva reassured her.

Abby turned to McGee and punched him hard in the arm. “And you let them stay up there? In a _blizzard?”_ she accused.

“OW!” Tim objected, rubbing his sore arm. “You expect me to argue with Gibbs when he wants to do something?”

“I expect you to bring my team back to me, McGee. I swear, if they are not back by…”

“There’s been a change of plan,” Vance interrupted, descending the staircase and strolling into the bullpen.

Four sets of eyes turned to him immediately.

“Gibbs and DiNozzo chose to follow up on a possible lead. They stayed on the mountain.”

“But you’re going to send the chopper back for them, right? You wouldn’t just leave them alone up there.” Abby stepped forward.

“They were headed for the cabin just west of the crime scene. If all went according to plan, they shoud be there by now. I’ve been assured by the park service that these cabins are kept well stocked with food and supplies. They should be fine, even if they have to be there for several days. I’m sorry Miss Scuito, the weather conditions have deteriorated to the point that we couldn’t land a chopper safely anyway. They made the best decision they could.”

Vance turned to address the rest of the team. “Now, I know that you collected evidence at the scene, and the bodies of our victims are being taken to autopsy as we speak. The best thing we can do for Agent Gibbs right now is put everything we can into catching our killer before he and Agent DiNozzo return. I expect nothing less than your very best efforts in his absence.”

Abby ran after Vance as he turned to make his way back to the stairs. “They called to tell you they’re okay, right? I mean, we know they’re not just out there, wandering in the wilderness and freezing to death, right Director Vance?”

He looked at her solemnly and then raised his head to take in the rest of the team. “We have work to do, people.”

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might notice a eerie familiarity about the cabin they are holed up in. I based this off of the real Jones Mountain Cabin in SNP however, several months after the posting of this fic, we were introduced to Gibbs' cabin in canon. While not identical, there are enough similarities from the fireplace, the location of the woodpile beneath the window, right down to the single rocking chair (which I am told by a member of the NCIS props team actually belonged to Harmon who refinished it) that it creeps me the heck out whenever they use that set. 
> 
> If you've read this story before, or read it on ff.net, you WILL notice some subtle changes. I'm editing as I post, fixing a couple of small continuity errors, polishing a little, etc.

****

Tony was dreaming and he had absolutely no desire to wake up. His body was warm, blissfully warm, and strong arms cradled him and caressed his skin. The familiar and delicious scent of Gibbs filled his nose and he pressed his lips to the softly furred expanse of chest directly beneath his mouth. Long legs twined with his and his hand wandered lazily up one muscular thigh to circle the smooth globe of Jethro’s ass. “Mmm, Gibbs… you taste so good,” he mumbled, flicking his tongue against heated skin.

“Glad you think so, DiNozzo.”

His eyes flew open at the sound of Gibbs’ deep rumbling voice just above his ear and he blinked in the near darkness that was broken only by a soft red glow. Tony tried to pull back, horrified that what he had thought was a dream was in fact stark reality, but he found himself completely trapped against Gibbs’ body.

Gibbs’ very, very naked body.

“Boss?” he whispered in confusion, still not fully convinced he was awake or even alive. Perhaps he had died somewhere on the way up the mountain and this was simply his version of heaven. It certainly felt heavenly.

“Glad to see you decided to wake up.”

Tony didn’t miss the sincere note of relief behind Gibbs’ words but he had more pressing matters on his mind than a brush with death. “Boss, are we naked?”

“Your powers of observation are still intact, apparently.”

“And did I…was my hand just…Gibbs, did I just grab your ass?”

“Yup.”

He hesitated. “Are you trying to decide whether to fire me and then kill me or just skip the whole firing thing and go straight to the killing?”

Gibbs chuckled, a low throaty sound that sent vibrations through Tony’s chest where they were so intimately joined. “Don’t think so, Tony.” And then he added, with a note of surprise, “Actually, I kinda liked it.”

“Am I already dead?” he breathed. It was really the only possible explanation.

“I certainly hope not, otherwise I hauled your ass up a flight of stairs for no reason and this whole body heat thing was just a really big waste of time.”

Long fingers trailed up the curve of Tony's spine and ghosted over his ribs before Gibbs’ hand came to rest against his hip. He was able to pull back far enough to look up at Jethro’s face but he struggled to find a safe place to put his hands, finally settling for resting them lightly against the older man’s chest. There was a look on Gibbs’ face that was all too familiar but it was not one he had ever expected to be confronted with.

“You gonna kiss me, boss?” he asked in complete disbelief.

“Was thinking about it.”

“Why?” He wished he could shove that single syllable back down his throat. Tony realized the light tap to the back of his head that came next was all Gibbs could accomplish in the tight quarters.

“Because you’re alive, DiNozzo.” Gibbs’ voice trailed off to a rough whisper. “And because I’ve closed far too many doors in my life. Thought maybe it was about time I tried opening one.”

The hand behind Tony’s neck pressed gently forward. There was nowhere to run, no space to move and as surprisingly soft lips brushed hesitantly against his, there was no part of his body that wasn’t totally aware that this was _Gibbs_ kissing him. Full and gentle lips cradled his and swept lightly back and forth, coaxing him open until the tip of Jethro’s tongue dipped in for a taste. He was embarrassed by the tiny needy purr that escaped his throat and he quickly angled his hips away from Gibbs to preserve a bit of dignity as his cock responded with unbridled enthusiasm.

It was possibly the hardest thing he had ever done to simply let Gibbs kiss him. In true DiNozzo fashion, he was desperate to take charge, desperate to show this man just what he was capable of after waiting so long, but he made himself be patient. Instead, he allowed himself to bask in the impossible flurry of sensations as Gibbs tentatively explored and examined his every texture and flavor, slowly, methodically, torturously, before finally drawing back with a gentle nip of teeth against his lower lip that left him completely breathless and aching for more.

His fingers had curled into the thick white locks on Gibbs' chest and he forced himself to relax and breathe, wishing other parts of his anatomy were nearly as obedient. He studied Gibbs’ face in the flickering firelight and wasn’t sure if he liked what he saw.

“Jethro?” he pressed tentatively, needing some kind of reaction from him.

“It’s different,” Gibbs muttered reflectively.

“Kissing me?”

“Kissing a man. It’s…rougher, more intense. Never understood the whole stubble factor before.”

Tony deflated. “I understand. Means the world to me that you wanted to try.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it, DiNozzo.” He brought his hand up and swept it over Tony’s stubbled jaw. “I just said it was different.”

“So..?” He let the question hang in the air.

“It was you,” he growled, swiping his nose against Tony’s and leaning in for another taste. “What do you think?”

That hungry mouth covered his in a kiss that was far less tentative and far more possessive while still maintaining the insistent tenderness and intensity that was so uniquely Gibbs. Jethro kissed with the same deliberate passion he gave to every other aspect of his life and he felt himself becoming completely consumed by that slow burning fire. Tony felt a tug at his hip and a moment later the thickened head of Gibbs’ cock thrust lightly against his belly.

Jethro swallowed Tony’s deep groan but pulled back when his hands began to descend in an attempt at further exploration.

“Easy,” he cautioned, somewhat breathlessly. “This isn’t going to happen all at once.”

“Sorry, it’s just that you’re…” His eyes flicked down to the space between their bodies.

“Yeah.”

“Surprisingly…” he twisted his hips slightly for more contact.

“Hey, no one’s more surprised by that than me, DiNozzo. Doesn’t mean I’m quite sure what to do about it yet. Besides,” he leaned in and kissed Tony fleetingly, “we’ve got a job to do. Whatever else happens here, we still have a killer to catch.”

To Tony’s disappointment, Gibbs quickly extracted himself from their little nest, but he was rewarded with the delightful vision of his thoroughly naked and thoroughly aroused body clad only in the flickering orange glow from the dying fire. It didn’t do much to help calm his own desires.

“You gonna lie around and stare at my ass all day, DiNozzo, or are you gonna help?” Gibbs didn’t try to hide the smile in his voice.

He let his eyes wander lazily over Jethro’s lower body as he reached for his boxers.

“DiNozzo!”

“I’m sorry, what was option number two again?” He dodged the t-shirt that was aimed at his head.

“Get dressed. I need to contact Vance and let him know we’re here and safe before Abby digs out her snowshoes and sends McGee after us. That means going outside to get a signal for the satphone. You’re on inventory detail. If we’re going to be here a while, I need to know what we have for food, water, light, and fuel. Make a list.” He pulled on his boots and tucked his pants into them.

“This place have a head?” Tony asked as he threw off the covers. The air in the cabin was surprisingly warm and he stretched in the cozy heat rolling from the fire. He didn’t miss the fact that Gibbs’ eyes were drawn to the impressive erection he was still sporting and he smirked in surprise. “You gonna stare at my cock all day, Gibbs?”

“Inventory, DiNozzo,” he growled playfully. “After that I want to take a good hard look at what’s in those packs.”

He tossed Tony his jeans which had been drying over the wood pile. They were still dirty but dry and dirty was much better than wet and dirty. He tugged them on as Gibbs zipped up his jacket and closed them carefully around his erection which was being rather stubborn about lingering.

Gibbs fished around in his pack and eventually extracted the headlamp he would need to see outside. After fixing it over the top of his hat, he peered out the window into the darkness for a moment and finally moved to the door. As he jerked it open, the wind immediately blew swirls of snow in and Tony’s jaw dropped at the drift that easily climbed two and a half feet up the frame. Jethro looked at him meaningfully.

“On it, boss.”

* * *

 

Overall they were in pretty good shape. The main floor was divided into two areas. The first was set up around the fireplace where there was room for cooking and a shelf containing an array of cast iron cookware and plates and utensils. The fireplace itself had a cast iron crane for holding pots over the fire and an area for grilling though he doubted he would find steaks waiting for them. On the wall next to the fireplace and below the window was a large stack of firewood that would last several days if they were conservative with it. Tony made a mental note to use this as an excuse for a more a liberal use of body heat.  On the opposite wall there was a row of built-in shelves which contained several tattered volumes of everything from trashy romances to trail guides and a few worn and dust covered board games.

In the next room there was a large and sturdy table, a ladder leading to what looked like a loft beneath the sloped roof and, along one wall, a large sink with an old fashioned water pump. It might not be running water but at least they wouldn’t have to melt snow.

There were two large battery powered lanterns on the table and they cast an odd glow over the room as he flipped them on. Grabbing one of the lanterns, he began poking into corners.

In a cupboard below the sink he found stacked canned goods. There were several varieties of soups and stews, canned meats, and vegetables, as well as sealed packets of instant noodles and rice that could be easily prepared with boiling water. It was more than enough to last them a week and they hadn’t explored the packs of their two victims yet. It was likely that they had brought some food with them as well and he hoped Gibbs wouldn’t consider it destroying evidence if they helped themselves.

He made his final discovery just as Gibbs stumbled back through the door, shaking off the snow that had covered his hat and shoulders. His face was red from the cold and he was panting with effort. “I wouldn’t count on getting out of here any time soon.” Gibbs leaned heavily against the door as he pushed it shut and bolted it.

“Good thing I found this, then.” He gestured inside a door he had originally assumed was a small storage closet.

Gibbs walked over and Tony thrust the lantern into the space beyond, where it illuminated a large white monstrosity which a sign indicated was a self-composting toilet.

“Bet it was a bitch to haul this thing up here.”

“Sure glad they did though. You mind?” He snatched the lantern and elbowed past Tony to make use of the facilities.

“Looks like there’s instructions on the wall, boss,” Tony called through the closing door.

“Never needed instructions before, DiNozzo.”

“I meant for the…never mind, you’ll figure it out,” he muttered to himself.

Tony eyed the packs leaning against the wall and retrieved his own pack from near the entryway. Having not dried next to the fire, it was still wet, but the contents inside seemed to be fine. He extracted gloves and evidence bags as well as a pen, and then set one of the packs on the table and went to work.

When Gibbs emerged he had extracted a wallet from the front of the pouch and was examining it closely. “Looks like this belongs to Sergeant Fuller, boss. A few family pics, credit cards, the norm. Looks like our killer got one thing right.” He flashed Gibbs the picture he found of Corporal Gilmore. It was difficult to look at the face smiling up at him without envisioning the horror of their crime scene. “No doubt these two had a relationship of some kind. You don’t put a picture of someone in your wallet unless it’s serious.”

"Got a picture of you in my wallet," Gibbs tossed out nonchalantly, continuing to paw through the pack without looking up. 

"That's...Gibbs...I don't..." Tony colored to the tips of his hair as his heart dropped into his toes. He cleared his throat awkwardly but it was clear Gibbs had no more to say on the subject and was not expecting a response. Still, the casual admission had his mind reeling.

They bagged the wallet and set it aside along with Fuller’s car keys. There were several packets of dried and easy to prepare foods and, to Tony’s delight, even some candy bars. Aside from that there was just spare clothing and some basic toiletries. In an inner pocket Tony found a large box of condoms and a tube of lubricant. “Looks like these guys had some big plans.” He opened an evidence bag.

“Leave ‘em out.”

“Boss?” Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Don’t get your hopes up, loverboy. I just don’t see how these qualify as evidence. Not something that needs to go on record in their personal effects either. These boys have families and this is gonna be hard enough on them as it is.”

“Because they’re gay?” he asked, defensively.

“No, because they’re _dead_ , DiNozzo,” Gibbs snarled.

Tony flinched. “Of course.” He looked at the contents of the first pack scattered across the table and carefully began repacking what they hadn’t bagged or set aside as edible.

“Hey.” Gibbs laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve always known who you were and I was never ashamed of you for one minute. I’m not ashamed of kissing you and I won’t be ashamed of whatever comes next. You shouldn’t be either.”

“You want the next pack or should I do the honors?” He moved from beneath Jethro’s touch and set the first pack on the floor.

“Tony…”

He rounded on Gibbs, pressing him back into the counter and slipping a hand behind the older man’s head. Tony wasn’t sure whether Jethro looked more surprised or furious, but it was too late to take it back so he said what he needed to say. “Not ashamed of who I am, Gibbs. Haven’t been for a long time now.” He searched those ice blue eyes from only inches away. “Not ashamed of who I love either.” He pressed his mouth to Jethro’s and immediately sought the velvet of his tongue, feeding him all the need, all the longing, everything he had been holding back for far too long.

Somewhere in the middle of it, Gibbs began to respond to him. Needy fingers clawed at the thin fabric covering his back as he ground their hips together hard. Their tongues danced and danced, thrusting, stroking, plunging into each other’s mouths again and again until Tony’s lips burned and his cock ached.

Finally, Jethro pulled back with a gentle tug on the hair at the base of Tony’s head and brought his hand up to caress the younger man’s face fondly. “Glad we got that straight,” he breathed, hunger written plainly in his eyes. 

Tony ran a hand through his hair with a sheepish grin. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Now can we get back to work? I’m starving and you owe me dinner.”

* * *

 

“Where are we at people?” Vance strode into the bullpen.

McGee jumped up from behind his desk and brought up images on the plasma. “We’ve been checking with all the members of Gilmore and Fuller’s company out of Quantico. The whole company is on liberty right now so tracking people down has been difficult. So far no one has come forward with information on anyone who may have had a particular grudge against our two Marines but we still have a lot of men unaccounted for. We’ve notified the families but neither of them has been able to point us in a conclusive direction either. Right now we’re focusing on finding out who would have known our victim’s exact destination.”

“Keep on it. Where are we at on ballistics?” he pressed.

“No report from Abby yet, Director,” Ziva responded. “Ducky is still processing the bodies but we do know that the blade patterns on our victim’s foreheads are consistent with a standard Marine issue knife. That combined with Gibbs’ information on the accuracy of the shooter has us focused on current and former military personnel,” she added.

“I think that’s likely, Agent David. I’ll go one step further and say this was definitely someone who spent a lot of time with our victims. This guy didn’t randomly stumble across these men out in the wilderness. He spent time carefully planning and waiting for an opportunity. This was a crime of hate and he’s been sitting on it for a long time.”

“Understood, Director Vance,” McGee nodded. “Director…have we…have we heard anything from Gibbs and Tony?” he asked hesitantly.

“Safe. Gibbs called in a few minutes ago to say that, despite a near miss with hypothermia, they’re safely at the cabin and in good condition. They’re taking quite a beating up there with the weather. I also spoke to the Ranger station in Shenandoah and the forecast is for continued high winds and snows for the next 36- 48 hours. After that we can begin to talk about a plan to get them out of there, but they have plenty of food, water, and fuel to last them well beyond that window if need be,” he reassured them.

“Do you mind if I go down and relay the news to Abby? She’s kind of coming apart at the seams,” McGee asked.

“Find out where she’s at with ballistics and if she was able to lift any prints from the materials collected at the scene while you’re down there. Check in with me on your progress in a half hour.” He turned and headed back up the stairs.

* * *

 

“Why does everything always taste better over an open fire, even noodles and beef stew?” Tony pushed his plate away with a contented sigh that morphed into a deep yawn.

To both of their disappointments, they had found nothing conclusive at first glance in the second pack either.

After a brief discussion and only a bit of whining, Tony had gotten dinner going while Gibbs got the ancient looking pump at the sink to bring up surprisingly fresh smelling water. To be on the safe side, they used the iodine to purify the water they weren’t using for cooking, filling every bottle they could find to save time later.

“Rock, paper, scissors, for KP duty?” He looked up at Gibbs hopefully, suppressing another yawn.

“Can wait till morning.” Jethro eyed him speculatively.

Tony’s eyes couldn’t help wandering over to the pile of blankets they had folded and moved to the side of the fire. “So…about the sleeping…”

“Kinda liked the way things worked out earlier. Think you can keep your hands to yourself?”

“If I say ‘no’?”

“Sleeping’s all I can offer tonight, Tony,” he said levelly, making sure the younger man knew this wasn’t just flirtatious banter.

“I’ll take it. Gladly,” Tony replied seriously.

They quickly cleared off the table and remade the bed. Tony stripped down to his boxers and hesitated until he saw Gibbs toss his atop the pile of his own clothing. “You’re an evil, evil man, Gibbs.”

They banked the coals of the fire and threw a couple small logs on top before climbing naked beneath the thick mound of down and wool. Tony slipped into the crook beneath Jethro’s shoulder and draped his arm across his chest, basking in the unbelievable intimacy of lying naked in an embrace he had yearned for longer than he could remember.

“You really sure I’m not dead?” he muttered as he began to drift off.

“I’m sure, DiNozzo.”

Soft lips pressed against his hair and he let himself be carried away on the howling wind as Gibbs’ heart pounded beneath his ear.


	4. Chapter 4

****

“We’ve got a problem,” McGee said as he pushed open the door of Vance’s office.

“Agent McGee. I’m curious, does Special Agent Gibbs school all of his team in barging into my office unannounced?” He stood up behind his desk.

“Sorry Director, I thought you’d want to hear this right away. We were able to reach Gilmore and Fuller’s CO. Turns out Fuller filed a confidential complaint alleging conduct unbecoming against a fellow Sergeant, Jonathan Estes. His allegations related to Estes’ sexual mistreatment of female detainees while they were in Afghanistan. The Corps investigated the complaint very quietly but found nothing to back up Fuller’s allegations.”

“You bet your ass they did it quietly. If the media got hold of something like that they’d have a field day, not to mention the riots it would start in at least half a dozen countries. You think this might be some sort of retaliation?” Vance chewed his toothpick thoughtfully.

“We questioned other members of the unit about Estes. Two men came forward and said they knew that Estes was aware of the relationship between Gilmore and Fuller and had threatened to out them to their CO if Fuller didn’t keep his mouth shut and let the business in Afghanistan drop. I don’t get the impression that Estes is well liked but I get the feeling that most of the men in the unit are more than a bit intimidated by him.”

“Go on,” Vance encouraged.

“According to the CO, Fuller came back to him just before the unit went on liberty and said that he could deliver definitive evidence against Estes. He didn’t make it clear what the evidence was but they were scheduled to meet as soon as the unit returned to base after the week off,” McGee concluded.

“Sounds like more than reason enough to get Estes in here for questioning,” Vance nodded.

“That’s a problem, Director. Estes has been off the grid completely since leaving the base. No answer on his cell or home phones and no one has seen or heard from him. I’ve got Ziva running a trace on his cell and credit cards and we’ve already put a BOLO out.”

“Good work, Agent McGee. Keep me up to date.”

“Director, have we heard anything more from Gibbs and Tony?” Tim hesitated at the door.

“Something on your mind, McGee?”

“I was just curious if they found anything among our victims’ possessions that might relate to Estes. If Fuller really did have physical evidence against him, it seems like it would be the kind of thing he’d want to keep close,” he said.

Vance nodded. “It makes sense. It would help if we knew what we were looking for. I think if they had found anything that stood out immediately we would have heard about it already. Gibbs is scheduled to check in at 1600 tomorrow afternoon. We’re trying to preserve the battery on the satphone as long as possible but it won’t last forever. Have we heard anything on the victims’ car? Might have stashed something there as well.”

“Nothing yet. Unfortunately, any trailhead parking they would have used is off of Skyline Drive and it’s been totally closed down with the storm. Nothing is moving up there right now.”

“Your team should go home and get some rest. You’ll be paged if the BOLO turns up anything on Estes?”

“Yes, sir.” The words ‘your team’ echoed in McGee’s head and he found himself suddenly swelling with pride.

“Keep up the good work, Agent McGee. Gibbs would be proud.” Vance nodded his dismissal.

* * *

 

Gibbs lay on his back, idly stroking the back of Tony’s neck as the younger man snored softly into his shoulder. He stared into the glowing embers of the fire and tried to put his thoughts into some kind of order.

On one level, the physical response he was experiencing for Tony was a surprise, but on a much deeper one, it made some twisted kind of sense. He’d simply never contemplated the idea of being sexual with a man before. It wasn’t that he’d ever found the idea repugnant, it was just that women did it for him and that had more than fulfilled his needs sexually for his lifetime thus far.

Intimacy was intimacy, however, and there was no arguing that he was closer to Tony than he’d ever been with anyone but Shannon. In some ways they shared an even greater bond and understanding of one another because of their similar backgrounds and experiences, not to mention the unspoken trust between them that was essential to their jobs. His feelings for the younger man were etched deep in his bones after all they had been through together and lately he had begun to understand that they were far more complex that he had ever imagined.

What was happening between them now wasn’t the product of some sudden epiphany. It had crept up on him gradually during the long nights in his basement sipping bourbon together, quiet days on stakeout where words were simply unnecessary between them, and mostly on the lonely nights when he waited hopefully for the sounds of his front door creaking open and Tony’s familiar footsteps on his stairs. It was soft words and searching glances, the warmth of the younger man’s hand beneath his and the light trembling that always sent a thrill up his spine.

This thing, whatever it turned out to be, was the culmination of a slow and steady awakening that had been merely waiting for an opportunity.

That opportunity had presented itself in no uncertain terms when the overpowering joy he’d felt as Tony’s cold and near lifeless body warmed and awakened in his arms had needed an outlet beyond mere words. Somehow he’d known in that moment that a physical expression of his affections was something he owed to them both and something he had held back for far too long.

He closed his eyes and let himself be aware of the man lying beside him, of the delightful warmth of flesh on flesh where their bodies aligned. Curiosity and slow desire mingled as he let his hand wander lightly over the soft skin of Tony’s bare back and settle in the curve just above his bottom. Tony stirred slightly against him and curled his fingers into the hair on his chest with a sigh. Already Gibbs could feel his own cock thickening against his thigh as warm breath teased at his nipple.

Taking a deep lungful of air, he let instinct and need take over and slowly slid his hand over the hard muscle of Tony’s ass. He’d always been a bit of a butt man and, like everything he had discovered about being physical with Tony so far, this sensation was vastly different than what he was used to.

Tony’s ass was far firmer than a woman’s. It was more rounded, less broad, and generally more fuzzy. Still, the feeling of toned muscle and soft flesh slipping beneath his fingertips was incredibly pleasant and he cupped and gently kneaded the solid globe in his palm.

The man sleeping against his chest shifted and made a soft mewling sound as he pressed back into Gibbs’ hand. He could feel Tony’s cock stirring against him as he responded unconsciously to the sensation. His own dick was now hard as a rock and resting dangerously close to DiNozzo’s elbow on his belly.

He pressed his lips to Tony’s forehead. “What in the hell did I get myself into, DiNozzo?” he whispered to the silence as he began to slowly kiss the younger man awake.

* * *

Tony was unclear exactly which tremendously pleasant sensation had pulled him into consciousness. The first thing he became aware of was the hand on his ass that was touching him in a way that was _anything_ but green light approved. Almost simultaneously he felt the gentle fluttering of lips teasing the underside of his jaw and a moment later he couldn’t ignore the fact that his cock was already hard and aching and pressed tightly to a very muscular thigh which was moving slowly and rhythmically against his length.

“Thought you wanted me to keep my hands to myself, Jethro,” he murmured breathily as Gibbs gently suckled his earlobe.

“Maybe I do, DiNozzo,” he growled.

The delightful rumbling against his ear sent shockwaves through his body and before Tony knew what was happening he was rolled onto his back with Gibbs’ weight pinning him to the floor and strong arms securing his hands above his head. Jethro’s ribs grazed his nipples as he twisted in that grasp and his swollen cock was pressed deliciously in the tight space between their bodies. He knew that if he really wanted to put up a fight, he and Gibbs were fairly evenly matched in strength but he had absolutely no desire to be free from his current bonds.

Jethro’s shallow breathing and lust glazed eyes told him everything he needed to know about where the older man’s head was at and he willed himself to relax and just let Gibbs take what he needed.

His hands were released but he kept them obediently in place as Jethro shifted to the side and rested his weight on his elbow. Gibbs pushed the heavy blankets off of them and let his eyes drift down the length of Tony’s body in the softly flickering firelight. His cock twitched beneath the heat of that gaze and he felt moisture already beginning to leak onto his belly.

A pleasantly calloused hand slipped over the line of his hip bone while the other came up to trace the cut of his jaw and glide over the curve of his neck.

“Jethro,” he breathed, tossing his head as slightly trembling fingers trailed over the hard edge of his collar bone.

“Hmm?”  The deep and throaty rumble of distraction sent heat spiraling low in his belly.

Gibbs was clearly bent on exploration and Tony let his eyelids flutter closed as he melted beneath the gentle sweep of curious fingertips over his skin. He gasped as the moist heat of Jethro’s mouth moving in and suckling at the rapidly pounding pulse in his throat created a sharp and sudden contrast with the relatively cool air in the cabin. His fingers curled painfully as he dug his nails into his palms and fought the urge to beg Gibbs to fuck him then and there.

Tony twisted and writhed as a seemingly insatiable Jethro Gibbs explored every inch of his skin. One calloused thumb spent endless torturous minutes studying the response of his flattened nipple to its teasing strokes as he arched into the gentle rasp and bit his lip till he tasted blood. His fingernails clawed at the wooden floor when Jethro’s tongue began to circle the firm nub on the other side and he couldn’t hold back his cries as sharp teeth nipped at his tender flesh.

The hand that had been caressing and seemingly memorizing the muscles of his shoulders and chest began to move lower and the infuriatingly tender fluttering of Jethro’s lips against his heated skin started to drive him slowly insane. When he let out the low moan he had been holding back for far too long, Gibbs pulled back slightly and Tony could see the haze of arousal clouding his eyes. Seeing his own passion mirrored in that clear blue nearly took his breath away.

“Need you to touch me, Gibbs. Please,” he panted. His entire body was on fire and he knew that if things didn’t move forward soon it was entirely possible that he would embarrass himself and come anyway.

He could see the slight hesitation on the older man’s face and understood. This was the point of no return for him.

“If you want, I can…I can do it myself,” he offered hesitantly, unsure just how far Gibbs was ready to take things. He began to move his hands from behind his head.

“No,” Gibbs said firmly, grasping his wrist. “I want…”He moved his hips against Tony’s thigh meaningfully, clearly unsure how to ask for what he needed. “I want us to…together…but not…” He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. “Ah hell, I don’t know how to do this, DiNozzo.”

Tony nodded, understanding what he was getting at. “You trust me?”

“You know I do,” Jethro growled in frustration.

“Okay then.” Urging Gibbs to straddle him, he began by running his hands up and down from his knees to the curve of his hip in long soothing stokes. Seeing Jethro flustered was something completely new for him and he waited patiently for the older man to relax before gently taking his hand and guiding it down to his erection. He had to remind himself to breathe as Gibbs’s fingers wrapped around his length and began to explore.

“You okay with this?” Tony asked breathlessly, locking eyes with the man above him. He tried to remember what it was like, touching another man’s hardened cock for the first time, but his concentration was shattered as Gibbs’ thumb began to circle his head and spread the moisture from his tip further down his shaft.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’,” Tony choked out, moving his hands further up Jethro’s thighs and letting his thumbs graze the base of his erection. He eyed Gibbs’ cock hungrily, licking his lips unconsciously as he imagined the thick head sliding into his mouth and coating his tongue with the salty, musky tang he craved. That particular fantasy would have to wait for another time to be fulfilled. He could already feel the heavy pressure building as Gibbs worked him in slow smooth strokes.

Unable to wait any longer, he grasped Jethro’s thick shaft and began to mirror his movements.

With a hand behind his knee, he urged Gibbs forward until their cocks were close enough that their fingers brushed together on each stroke and then watched his face closely. It was easy to tell by the tension in his jaw and uneven breathing that he was fast approaching the edge as well.

Stilling his movements, Tony placed the fingers of his hand over Jethro’s and then enclosed both of their heads in a tight, pre-cum slicked embrace by pressing the heels of their hands together.

“Shit,” Gibbs swore as snug heat closed around him and he began to thrust fast and hard along the length of Tony’s shaft, driving himself over and over into the combined moist friction of their interlaced grasp. Jethro’s balls slipped along the base of his cock, tickling his taut, sensitized flesh and he fought hard for control against the onslaught of sensation.

The feeling of the thick ridge of Gibbs’ head sliding against his own was too blissful to bear and the fingers of his other hand began to clench and flutter against Jethro’s thigh as the last vestiges of his control fell away. Tony threw his head back and tried to hang on but it was no use. “I’m gonna come,” he panted in warning as his muscles bunched for release, “oh _fuck,_ I’m gonna come!” There was no stopping the orgasm that roared through him like a freight train and he arched his back and lifted his hips as sweet and heavy ecstasy flooded every limb while thick jets of cum filled his palm and dripped from between his fingers.

Even through the haze of release he was aware when Jethro suddenly tensed and sent his own hot load spilling onto his chest in a symphony of harsh cries that made his blood sing.

Gibbs collapsed beside him in a breathless heap, his body quivering as sweet aftershocks continued to rock him.

Tony reached a hand behind him to the pile of their clothing and found a t-shirt, not really caring at the moment whose it was. He quickly wiped up the rapidly cooling pool on his chest and stomach and cleaned his hand as well. As he turned on his side to offer his partner the same assistance, his heart immediately became a hard lump in his throat.

Jethro was smiling at him.

Not just smiling… _beaming,_ really. His hand came up and traced the line of Tony’s face as his eyes took on an intensity the younger man had never seen. If it was possible, he felt more naked than naked beneath the weight of that beloved blue gaze.

“Never imagined…not like this.” Gibbs voice trailed off and Tony felt heat rising in his face.

He quickly turned away and tried to focus on cleaning the mess from Jethro’s palm. “I did,” he said quietly.

Gibbs other hand ripped the t-shirt from his grasp, tossed it on the wood pile and then slid lightly over his wrist. “I know you did.”

Tony was pulled into a tight embrace and collapsed with a sated sigh into the impossibility of those arms wrapping around him while Gibbs nuzzled lightly at his neck.

“Never thought you’d be so cuddly after sex, Jethro.” His hand traced lazy patterns across Gibbs’ chest.

“Is that a complaint?” The older man murmured, clearly close to drifting off.

“No complaints here tonight, Boss.” Tony reached over and pulled a layer of blankets back over them. Now that his body was cooling off he was beginning to feel the chill in the air again.

“Probably better if we keep the ‘boss’ out of the bedroom, Tony.”

“Sorry.” Tony yawned. “Force of habit.”

Despite the fact that his mind was reeling, every muscle in his body was blissfully heavy and he let the sound of Jethro’s deep and even breathing pull him into a dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

 

Gibbs awakened to warmth on his face and a smell that was damn close to heaven.

“Why in the hell didn’t you tell me you found coffee, DiNozzo?” he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He’d slept more deeply than he could remember in months, maybe even years, and he couldn’t believe that he hadn’t woken when Tony had moved.

“Thought it would be a nice surprise. I’ll be honest, I’m as relieved as you are. No offense, Gibbs, but the thought of being stuck in a box with you for days without coffee? I’d rather take my chances with the snow,” he laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up yet though. I took my best guess on how to use this thing.” He gestured to the graniteware percolator that was situated near the coals on one side of the fire.

“At this point I’d be happy just to chew on the grounds.” He already had a slight headache from the lack of caffeine and the smell alone was enough to make it back off a little.

Tony reached in with a cloth and dragged the coffee pot out. He set two tin mugs on the hearth and poured a steaming cup for each of them, handing one over to Gibbs cautiously. “Looks like coffee,” he shrugged. “Let’s hope it does the trick.” He blew tentatively at the steam rising from his mug.

Jethro took a gulp, not caring that the hot liquid burned his tongue. “Best coffee I’ve ever had, DiNozzo,” he said with a contented sigh.

Tony’s eyes brightened even as he flinched at his first taste of the strong brew.

“Don’t suppose there’s breakfast to go along with this?” Gibbs scratched idly at his chest.

“Way ahead of you, Boss.” Tony reached behind his back and tossed him a packet of dried fruit and a granola bar. “Best I could do under the circumstances.”

“I’ll take it.” He tore open the packet and together the two ate and sipped their coffee in companionable silence.

Gibbs reached for his t-shirt and boxers as Tony poured him a second cup and set the pot near the fire to stay warm. Unfortunately it appeared that it was his t-shirt that had turned into their makeshift towel the night before. He felt heat rise to his cheeks as flashes of sense memory washed over him and he raised his eyes to Tony’s.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Guess I’ll have to wash it. You can use mine if you want.” He hesitated. “Listen…Jethro,” Tony said sheepishly, clearly unsure if he should broach the topic of what had happened between them during the night.

Gibbs wasn’t sure he was ready either. “You looked outside yet?” He glanced over at the shuttered windows where grey light crept in around the edges.

Tony shook his head. “Wind’s still crazy. I was kind of afraid the windows would be completely covered in snow and we’d have to tunnel our way out, you know? Like in the 1978 Roger Corman disaster movie bomb, _Avalanche,_ starring a past-his-prime Rock Hudson and a pre-Woody Mia Farrow?”He stood up and winced, rubbing hard at the small of his back.

“You okay?”

“Nothing five trips to the chiropractor and a two hour massage won’t cure when we finally make it back to civilization. Not all of us are used to sleeping on hard wood on a regular basis. Don’t suppose there was a Tempurpedic mattress up in that sleeping loft that you didn’t tell me about?” He eyed the ladder hopefully.

“Think I would have noticed that.” Gibbs moved to the window and unlatched the shutters, pulling them open to allow muted light to spill into the room.

They couldn’t see much beyond the frosty pane but it looked like the snow had tapered off somewhat. It was difficult to tell what was falling from the sky and what was being blown around by the gusts that still rattled the shingles and dropped huge cascades of snow from tree branches. One thing was certain, the world around them was absolutely blanketed in mounds of the fluffy white stuff.

Under different circumstances, Gibbs might have considered this the most perfect vacation in the world but there was a killer still out there and the longer they were stuck, the greater lead he had on them.

* * *

 

McGee was waiting at the elevator as Vance stepped out.

“Haven’t even had my morning coffee yet, McGee, I hope this is good news.” He tossed his coat over the back of Gibbs chair and followed McGee into the bullpen where Ziva was waiting.

“Pretty sure we know what the evidence is that Fuller planned to produce against Estes,” McGee began.

“I’m listening,” Leon cracked open the cellophane wrapper on his toothpick, his first of the day.

“We were able to reach Estes’s bunk mate. Apparently he had a small, leather bound journal that he was incredibly protective of and always kept locked in his foot locker. The unit had already broken up on leave when Estes was apparently found tearing apart his bunk and locker in an insane rage over his notebook having gone missing.”McGee paused. “Director, I’m afraid there’s more. Our killer was incredibly thorough. Abby wasn’t able to find one print or piece of DNA on the rope or other items from the scene. She’s following up on a few other ideas but so far we’ve got nothing to forensically link our victims to Estes.”

“Where are we at on tracking down Estes?” He looked over at Ziva.

“That’s where we’ve had some luck. His cell is still offline. He must have disabled the tracking. That alone is suspicious, but we’ve got a Ranger who puts a man fitting Estes’s description entering the park a few hours before Fuller and Gilmore. Our victims didn’t go straight to the park from the base. Credit card receipts show them stopping for supplies and visiting some wineries. If Estes discovered his journal missing and suspected our victims, all he would have to do is find someone in the squad who knew exactly where they were headed and scope out a kill spot. He could even have tracked them until they turned off for the cabin and then closed off their only route out,” she concluded.

“I’ll let Gibbs know as soon as he checks in. Find out if anyone else knew about this journal. If it contains what Fuller says it does, I can think of more than a few people who wouldn’t want that sort of thing floating around unaccounted for. It’s possible we’re dealing with something bigger here. Keep doing everything you can to track down Sergeant Estes. Until then, let’s try not to let anyone get wind of the powder keg we might be sitting on.” Vance disappeared around the corner and reappeared ascending the staircase.  It was going to be a hell of a long day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the rocking chair. Again, the original posting date for this chapter was months before any intro to Gibbs' cabin.

****

“Says here, this cabin was built by a moonshiner named Harvey Nichols back in the 20’s, boss. Apparently he put up quite a fight when the government seized his property and his still to make way for the National Park.” Tony looked up from the leather bound notebook he was reading. It was a log of sorts so that visitors to the cabin could leave a summary of their time there and detail some of the more spectacular sights on the surrounding trails.

The first thing he’d checked for was an entry from their victims but it appeared they hadn’t even had a chance to get that far before their time was so brutally cut short.

The lavish descriptions of trickling streams and spring fed waterfalls, dazzling stars, and deer that were as tame as puppies _almost_ made Tony want to come back here when they weren’t being forcibly exiled from civilization by Mother Nature. Almost.

“Think I’d put up a fight too, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said quietly and with just the tiniest hint of longing.

He’d taken up a position in an ancient looking rocking chair, one of the few pieces of furniture in the place, and was deftly carving a piece of ash he’d found in the woodpile. He looked strangely at home here and in that moment Tony finally understood the deep schism in Gibbs that separated his desire for the peaceful simplicity of a place like a deserted Mexican beach or this tranquil mountain retreat and the obligation he felt to use the skills he had to save the world, one case at a time.

Tony watched him contentedly for a few moments with a strange ache in his chest, studying the way his hands moved with the rich grain of the wood, smoothing it, stroking it, seeking out its curves and soft spots in much the same way as he had sought out Tony’s the night before.

Neither had yet broached the subject, yet it was obvious that a shift was taking place between them. As they’d spent the better part of the day stocking wood, carefully rationing meals for several days, and boiling water for washing themselves and cleaning the dishes from the night before, Jethro had seemed to find a myriad of tiny excuses to touch him and, even more importantly, he had in no way objected to Tony doing the same. There was a lightness about Gibbs that he’d never seen before, a playful side to him that made his throat and his cock throb all at the same time. He could easily become accustomed to the feather-like sweep of fingertips over the base of his neck as he knelt before the fire or the warm hand that settled lightly in the small of his back as they dried pots and pans together at the sink.

A few times he’d caught Gibbs studying him with a curious mix of dismay and wonder on his face. As if he’d opened a box of Cracker Jacks expecting a plastic compass or a lick-on tattoo only to find a dazzling diamond ring inside. That look made Tony burn from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes and his heart do this crazy flip floppy thing in his chest.

Who was this joyful man who sprayed a fistful of soapy water at him and then laughed almost gleefully? Who pinned him up against the edge of the table and bent him backwards to drag his teeth over his Adam’s apple and kiss him until his entire world spun? He felt like the sun was suddenly peeking out at him from behind the mountain of baggage Gibbs carried around and he was utterly enraptured by its glorious radiance.

He marveled at this tiny taste of domestic bliss he was privileged enough to be experiencing. Is this what it would be like, living with Gibbs? They were engaged in their own activities, passing the time in relative silence and yet there was an awareness of the other man’s presence that was comforting in a way he’d never experienced with anyone but Gibbs. He felt like they were floating in a calm bubble amidst the chaos of their lives. What he wanted to know was whether it was one that would burst the moment they were back in the real world.

Tony slowly unfolded himself from the bench in the corner by the bookshelves and made a show of stretching his long legs before moving over to crouch in front of Gibbs and warm his hands at the fire.

“So,” he began hesitantly, “is…uh…is there anything you want to talk about, Gibbs?”

“Never was one for talking much.” He continued twisting his knife into the thick piece of wood. “Always preferred to let my actions speak for themselves, DiNozzo. Something on your mind?”

Tony stood and faced Gibbs, twisting his hands together nervously. Jethro continued to focus on the wood in his hands. “I just…last night was…well, I mean for me it was…”he ran a hand through his hair in exasperation wishing Gibbs would help him out just a little. “That wasn’t just something I did, Jethro. It wasn’t just about being here, or being alive. It was about being with you, _IS_ about being with you,” he finally spit out. “It meant something…to me.” Okay, so the finish was a little awkward but at least it was a start.

Gibbs’ hands stilled and he slowly and carefully set his project on the floor, driving his knife into the wooden boards with a sigh and a heavy _thunk_ that made Tony jump just slightly. When he stood up, his blue eyes bored into Tony’s with a focused intent he’d generally seen reserved only for the interrogation room and the younger man took a step backwards out of instinct.

“So you’re thinking that maybe it _didn’t_ mean something to me, DiNozzo? That what? I’d just hop into bed with my Senior Field Agent, my best friend, the man whose hands I put my life in every single day because I was feeling a little lonely, a little frustrated, maybe a little curious?” He was chest to chest with Tony now and DiNozzo had run out of room to retreat. One more step backwards and he would be _in_ the fireplace.

“You know…when you say it that way, it really doesn’t sound like you, Gibbs,” he said sheepishly, casting a quick glance over his shoulder at the fire that was just a little too close for comfort.

“Ya think?” Gibbs’ voice was suddenly gentler and he reached out a hand to Tony’s face, pulling their mouths together.

Soft lips tugged at his, tasted and teased him slowly until Jethro’s tongue slipped inside and claimed possession in no uncertain terms. He let himself melt into the arms that wrapped around him and traced the curve of his spine, ignoring the somewhat uncomfortable heat from the fireplace on his backside. His hands found their way into Jethro’s hair and beneath the hem of his sweatshirt as he moaned softly against the gentle mouth that miraculously told him everything he needed to know without using any words whatsoever.

“Gibbs?” Tony sighed as the older man’s mouth moved down to nip at his jaw.

“Hmm?”

“Is my ass on fire?”

Jethro chuckled quietly, his hands wrapping around Tony’s bottom and pulling him close as he ground their hips together lightly, letting DiNozzo feel his hardened cock through his jeans. “Nope. Sure is hot though.”

Tony sighed in disappointment as Gibbs pulled away with a quick smack to his butt, but he was more than happy to move to a slightly cooler location. When he tried to lean back in and resume their kiss, Jethro put up a hand to stop him.

“Hold that thought,” Gibbs ordered as he began pulling on his boots and coat. “Promised Vance I’d check in before 1600, and I’m beginning to think I’d rather not have to be interrupted for a little while.” The smoldering heat in Jethro’s eyes sent warmth shooting through him.

“Maybe they’ve already caught him, boss,” Tony said hopefully, his brain slipping into work mode.

“He’s still out there, DiNozzo.”

“Hey, I never underestimate McGee and Abby when they put their heads together uninterrupted for a few hours. Those two really scare me sometimes.” He shook his head. “And don’t even get me started on _Ziva’s_ hidden talents.”

Gibbs raised his eyebrows at that.

“What I mean is…you know, her sneaky Mossad ninja skills and all that,” Tony backpedaled. “I didn’t mean what you were thinking. I mean, not that I _know_ what you’re thinking.  I meant…not that I’ve…I mean, not that _we’ve_ …” He could feel himself sinking through the floor boards as the hole he was digging got deeper.

“DiNozzo?”

“Yeah, boss?”

“You can shut up now.”

“Thank you, boss.”

Gibbs finished lacing his boots and looked at Tony gravely. “They haven’t caught him yet because I’d know if they had, Tony.”

He retrieved the Sat phone from the table and checked it carefully before moving to the door. As he twisted the lock and yanked it open, Tony was relieved to see that the drift blocking half the frame didn’t appear to be significantly higher than the day before. Still, over 2 and a half feet of snow meant that Gibbs had to use his body to plow through the mound and for just a moment he almost appeared to be swimming in the white stuff as he made his way past the worst of the drift, carefully seeking the edge of the stairs with his boots.

As he neared the edge of the porch, he turned back to where Tony was watching from the door wrapped up against the wind in one of the wool blankets. “Meant something to me too, Tony,” he said with a quick grin before beginning to make his way down the staircase.

* * *

 

Tony closed the door, pushing back the bits of snow that had collapsed inward. He moved to the window and watched Gibbs for a few moments until it was clear the older man had made it down the stairs and waded out into the small clearing in front of the cabin that appeared to be about the only place with enough room for the phone to get a clear signal.

Turning back to the main room, he made his way over to the bookcase again and tucked the log away where he’d found it. Somehow he wasn’t sure the entry he wanted to make journaling his time in the cabin thus far would be well received by future readers.

He trailed his fingers across the dusty volumes on the shelves, digesting titles that sounded either familiar or wholly unappetizing. Suddenly, an unmarked binding to his right caught his eye. The book was wedged tightly between two larger trail guides and nearly invisible if he wasn’t looking straight at it. He quickly pried it lose, taking it initially for another log, though this one seemed to have pictures stuck between several of its pages.

The book nearly slipped from his hands as he sat down and let it fall open to a random entry.

_Shit_

The images on the pages and the accompanying brief and disgusting descriptions, descriptions with names he suspected to be false given the apparent ethnicity of the women contained in each one, made bile rise in his throat and coat his tongue in bitterness. He quickly and carefully gripped the book by its edges using the hem of his shirt and moved it to the table.

Extracting a pair of gloves, his print kit and his camera from his bag, he began to process what could only be evidence of a crime. Several crimes from the look of it.

He had barely begun when Gibbs stumbled through the door and tried to catch his breath after fighting his way back through the snow.

“Got something you need to see, boss,” he called from across the room.

“It had better be something warm, DiNozzo,” Jethro panted as he stripped off his snow covered outer layers.

“No, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I wouldn’t get too comfortable. I think we’re gonna need that phone again.”

Gibbs moved in behind him and Tony reached into his bag and extracted a second pair of gloves, handing them back to Jethro as he gently opened the book again, careful not to smudge any prints that might be on it.

“Found it in the bookcase. Either this place has a strange attraction for military psychopaths or this is somehow related to our victims,” Tony predicted sagely.

Gibbs grunted as he slipped on his gloves and began turning the pages of the book. “Vance said they have a lead suspect. Apparently our victims stole this from his footlocker and planned to bring it forward as evidence of his actions against female detainees in Afghanistan. Vance thought they might have left it in their car but it appears they wanted to keep it just a little bit closer.”

“Also seems like they might have been worried about someone coming after it, otherwise why hide it?”

“Wouldn’t you be paranoid walking around with this? This isn’t a journal Tony, it’s a trophy,” Gibbs said disgustedly. “He’s proud of what he did to these women. Keeps this around to remind himself of how powerful he is. They had to suspect that the kind of man who would do something like this would go to almost any lengths to protect it and himself.”

Tony flipped through a few more pages, flinching at some of the more graphic images. “Huh.”

“What?”

“I was just thinking, whoever this guy is…”

“Sergeant Jonathan Estes,” Gibbs supplied.

Tony wasn’t sure he liked giving a name to such a force of evil. “Right, Estes. Well, anyway, I was just thinking that Estes appears in quite a few of these shots, or at least we have to assume this is him. You think there might have been someone else involved?”

“Could have used a tri pod.” Gibbs studied the photos more closely.

“True, but the angle seems wrong. A tri pod would give a level shot but some of these are multiple shots of the same woman taken at varying angles. Seems like it would have been a lot of work to keep moving the camera around and then going back to…uhh…” He let the phrase hang there, unwilling to name the atrocities that littered the page before his eyes. “Maybe he had a sicko friend who liked to watch.”

Gibbs nodded. “Would make sense. Wish there was a way we could know for sure.” He slammed his hand on the table in sudden frustration. “Damnit. We have no way of getting these back to Abby, not even a way to send photos of prints or the journal for analysis. We’re holding the possible key here and it’s just as stuck as we are.”

“Vance say anything about getting us out of here?” Tony asked. He was torn on what he wanted the answer to be. On the one hand, he was loathe to give up this precious time with Gibbs before they’d had a chance to really solidify whatever their relationship was morphing into. On the other hand, this asshole didn’t deserve to be out walking the streets for one more second and despite his faith in the rest of his team, he knew they had a much better chance of catching him if they were together and had all the evidence available for examination.

“No timeline yet. They have to wait until Skyline is clear to be able to get to the trailheads and apparently there are some drifts taller than the plows up there. While we wait, we hope the temperature goes up a couple of degrees and the snow packs down so the Rangers can snowshoe up the trail and bring us back out the same way.” He didn’t exactly sound thrilled with the idea of waiting either.

“Don’t they have snowmobiles or something? I can’t believe with all the technology available in the world today we’re stuck here waiting for snowshoes,” Tony sighed in exasperation.

Gibbs smiled a little at that despite his own frustration. “Trail’s too steep and rocky for a snowmobile, DiNozzo. One jagged edge hidden under a thin layer of snow and a rescue team is stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken tread.”

“Okay, okay. So, I guess we gather what evidence we can from this, look through the rest of it for any leads on a possible accomplice and then let Vance know what we can? I know it sucks, Boss but unless you found a dogsled team out there somewhere, I don’t see anything else we can do without a cell phone signal and even that’s miles away.” Why was there just a tiny part of him that felt relieved?

“Guess so,” Gibbs nodded in agreement. “Just one thing though,” he shoved the Sat phone at Tony’s chest. “Next call is yours,” he grunted harshly.

* * *

 

“You uh…you know that whole saying about a watched pot never boiling, Jethro?” Tony said gently as he watched Gibbs pace in front of the fire. The older man had grown increasingly peevish as the evening had worn on and they’d come up empty on anything of obvious immediate use to their case in the journal. There was a good chance that there was forensic evidence at their fingertips that they had absolutely no way of accessing and an even smaller chance of putting to good use before any suspect was completely beyond their reach.

Gibbs glared at him across the small space but did eventually move away from the large cast iron pot that contained their would-be dinner of rehydrated chicken soup mixed with corn and rice. Hands on his hips, he stared out the window in a rather accusatory fashion at the darkening mountain vista as if blaming some malevolent unseen force of nature for intentionally keeping him away from the case that was eating him up inside.

Tony hated seeing Jethro pacing like a caged animal but he felt powerless to change anything about their current circumstances. Truth be told, Gibbs’ restlessness was starting to make him nervous and he was having a hard enough time controlling his own cabin fever without the added stress of the storm clouds circling over Jethro’s head. “I’m sure there’s something you could do to keep busy for the hour it’s going to take to cook that instead of wearing a path in the floorboards,” he said, a little more impatiently than he’d intended.

“You had something in mind, DiNozzo?” he growled.

_Had he really just snapped at Gibbs? Jesus, he must be losing it._

Tony felt heat rise up the back of his neck and crawl beneath his hair. “I..uhh…” He turned behind him for help. “There’s books. Lots and lots of books. Some real classics here, Gibbs.” He grabbed the first book his fingers touched. “’Edible Flora and Fungi of Appalachia’. Bet that one made the hillbilly best seller list.” He cringed.

Gibbs continued to look unenthused.

“Or a game?” Tony suggested. “No cards, but there appears to be an ancient edition of Trivial Pursuit or, my personal fave, Scrabble.” He reached into the shelf and blew the thick layer of dust from the top of the box.

Gibbs’ shoulders dropped a few inches. “No offense, DiNozzo, but I never really pictured you as a Scrabble player,” he laughed softly.

“I’m hurt, Gibbs.” Tony smiled and feigned injury. At least he appeared to have distracted Jethro for a moment. “I’ll have you know that in college, I was the Scrabble champion of my fraternity.”

Gibbs crossed his arms over his chest and looked at him slightly incredulously. “ _You_ played Scrabble…competitively?”

“Well, I did have some motivation,” he admitted. “During my Alpha Chi days I was known for my uncanny ability to turn absolutely anything into a drinking game or a quick way to get drunken Sorority girls to take their clothes off.”

“Ah. Now _that_ I find much easier to swallow. So, what are the rules?” He asked, moving to the table.

“Well, since I forgot to bring along a six pack, we’ll just have to play the old fashioned way.” He unpacked the board and checked to see that most of the tiles were still intact.

“Last time I checked, we were wearing clothes, DiNozzo. A few layers of ‘em.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his ankles. “Show me what you got.”

Tony was stunned. “ _You_ want to play _strip_ Scrabble?”

“Maybe I just want to get you to take your pants off, ever think of that?” Gibbs eyed him hungrily.

“Hell, you don’t even have to ask if that’s what you want,” Tony’s hands moved to the buttons of his fly.

Gibbs’ fingers wrapped around his wrists and stilled his movements then trailed lightly down his thighs before he resumed his casual pose. “There’s something to be said for the slow reveal, DiNozzo,” he said in a low voice that sent heat rushing to Tony’s groin.

“You’re a dangerous man, Gibbs, but you’re on.” He turned over the tiles and each man picked their starting letters.

“Okay, the rules are as follows: Draw one letter. Letter closest to the beginning of the alphabet goes first just like normal except that the star counts in the calculation of points but not for the removal of clothing. Player scoring the lowest number of points each round loses an article of clothing. Player scoring over 30 points on a single word gets to designate a player to lose an additional piece of clothing and since it’s just you and me, that means those pants are mine. You can challenge any word but if your challenge is defeated, you lose two pieces of clothing as a penalty. Trust me, that’s a rule you learn pretty quick when you unknowingly play a hot blond from the linguistics department,” he noted with a grin. “Any questions?”

“Oh, I think I got it, DiNozzo,” Gibbs smiled. “You patent those rules?”

“Don’t mock me Jethro,” Tony scolded playfully. “When you play by DiNozzo’s rules, everyone wins.” He drew a tile. “Ha, ‘C’. Beat that.”

Gibbs held up an ‘M’ and Tony went first. It started innocently enough, well, as innocently as any game can that has the express purpose of winding up with at least one person naked. Somehow the wheels came off the bus pretty quickly when Tony triumphed in the first round with a hoot of victory and Gibbs merely sat and stared at him.

“Uh, perhaps I wasn’t clear enough on the rules, Jehtro,” he prompted when all he got was an infuriating half grin.

“Oh, you were clear. Just thought it might be more fun if _you_ took off the parts you wanted,” he said flatly, leaving Tony in stunned silence.

Gibbs stood slowly and moved in front of Tony’s chair, waiting patiently as the younger man pulled himself together and gently slipped his fingers under the hem of his sweatshirt, pushing it upwards while he deliberately traced Jethro’s rib cage with his thumbs.

“You’re right, this is more fun,” he said breathily.  Standing, Tony pulled the soft and heavy cotton over Gibb’s silver head and moved in so there were only centimeters separating them. He wondered if Jethro could feel the heat rolling off of him. “But if you’re trying to distract me so you can win, Gibbs, you’re going to have to work a little harder.” He sat back down with a sly grin and a raised eyebrow.

Jethro gave a soft laugh and resumed his seat, studying his tiles.

With a quick look at his options, Tony played the word “erect” with a glance from beneath his eyelashes at Gibbs.

If he got the hint, he gave no outward indication. Instead, he slowly laid out the word “touch” using Tony’s ‘c’ on a double word score that easily won the round.

“Think that should be ‘touché’, Gibbs,” he muttered as he stood and allowed Jethro to slowly divest him of the thick sweater he was wearing over his t-shirt. The cool air felt good against his heated skin through the thin layer of cotton and he sucked in a breath as Gibbs’ fingertips lightly grazed his nipples. “Not fair,” he said through his clenched jaw as his cock twitched violently in response to the stimulus.

Unfortunately, Tony didn’t have a great move for the next round either but he did play the word ‘licks’ with a lascivious grin at his opponent and a not-so-subtle sweep of his tongue across his lips.

When Gibbs followed this with a triple word score using his ‘K’ for the word ‘spank’, Tony knew he was in trouble in more ways than one. He really wished his socks weren’t still drying over next to the fire after his trip out in the snow to call Vance.

Standing in front of Gibbs once again, he held his breath as Jethro’s fingers explored the waistline of his jeans and then drew the tongue of his belt out. He unclasped the closure and pulled it through the loops unhurriedly while he traced the outline of Tony’s now noticeable erection with his free hand. Closing his eyes, Tony tried to focus while he anticipated Gibbs’ hands at the buttons of his fly. Instead, he felt a gentle tug at his wrist as Jethro unclasped his watch and laid it on the table. The older man leaned down to his upturned palm and drew his lips across the sensitive flesh so lightly that every hair on Tony’s body stood on end.

“I believe it’s your turn,” Jethro’s voice was pure lust as he released him.

“Turn?” Tony said shakily. “We still playing a game?”

“You were the one who wanted me distracted,” Gibbs said as he made a show of rearranging his tiles.

He drew a deep breath and tried to focus on something other than the pounding pulse in his groin. “Right,” Tony said as he sat down with a slight wince before adjusting himself through the thick denim.

There was no denying that Scrabble had turned to dirty word Scrabble and Tony studied his letters and scoured his extensive vocabulary but in the next rounds he lost his t-shirt and jeans to ‘ecstasy’ and ‘plunge’ while Jethro’s nimble fingers kept his cock aching.

As he examined his tiles he realized that winning the game was really just a question of perspective at this point and he found he really didn’t care what his score was so long as Jethro kept taking his clothes off. Keeping with their current theme, he used the ‘A’ in spank to form the word ‘oral’. Even with the two double letter squares his score was woefully low but to his surprise, Jethro chose to exchange tiles instead of playing.

“Guess that means you win this one, DiNozzo.” He stood and offered himself to Tony.

There was no mistaking the heavy bulge in Jethro’s jeans and Tony licked his lips as he mirrored Gibb’s movements from a moment before and relieved him of his belt. As he tried to step back, Tony wrapped his hands around his hips and held him in place, dipping his head down to place an open mouthed kiss against the soft fabric of Jethro’s t-shirt just above his zipper. He waited for Gibbs’ to stop him, to give him any sign that he was pushing his boundaries, but when none came, he slowly slid his lips downward and pressed them against Jethro’s cock as he listened to the sharp hiss of breath above him.

With all the restraint he could muster, Tony pulled back and played his trump card. With the tiles he had just drawn, he slowly laid you the word ‘fellate’ using the ‘l’ from his earlier play and looked up at Gibbs in silent question.

“Nice word,” Jethro grunted.

“It means…”Tony began awkwardly.

“I _know_ what it means, Tony.”

Jethro’s expression was curiosity and uncertainty and hunger all rolled into one but the slow nod he gave as his slightly trembling hands came up to twine in Tony’s hair was all the approval DiNozzo needed.

Gently tugging his t-shirt from his waistband, Tony pushed up the fabric and then pressed his lips to the soft flesh beneath as he inhaled the warm scent of Jethro’s skin. Soft hair tickled his nose while muscle bunched and rippled in response to his tender exploratory kisses and his hands slowly worked at Gibbs’ zipper, carefully lowering it over his straining erection.

His fingers slipped into the elastic of Gibbs’ boxers and let them fall until they pooled around Jethro’s ankles and he stepped out of them awkwardly and kicked them aside. Standing again, he quickly stripped off Jethro’s t-shirt and his own remaining clothes while Gibbs watched.

Naked and hungry, their mouths collided with all the fiery heat that had been slowly building between them during the flimsy ruse of a board game. Tony’s hands roamed unhindered across Jethro’s exposed flesh as the older man’s fingers boldly explored the sensitive areas at the back of his neck and thighs. He couldn’t get enough of the velvet tongue that danced so sweetly with his or the soft lips that teased and slowly devoured every doubt he had about what was happening between them but he was also eager for more. He drew Jethro’s bottom lip between his teeth, dismounting with a light nip, and then slowly walked the older man backwards until he got the hint and sat down.

Tony knelt in front of him and tugged Jethro’s hips to the edge of the chair while he pushed his thighs apart and slid closer. Seeing Gibbs naked and vulnerable and completely his for the taking was a much more heady aphrodisiac than Tony could ever have imagined and it took all of his self control to keep himself in check and enjoy the moment for what it was.

Blue eyes bored into his as Jethro’s chest rose and fell in quick shallow breaths that betrayed his desire. He let his eyes trail slowly over well muscled shoulders, the gently curving tendons of Gibbs’ neck, the delicate outline of his jaw that simply begged for the rasp of his teeth against its sharp stubble. Tony wanted to feast on every inch of the body before him but his gaze was inexorably drawn to the proud and slightly curved erection that rested against Jethro’s belly and glistened with drops of moisture that had already leaked from his head.

“Tell me if I go too far,” he glanced up at Gibbs one last time before dropping down to trail his lips up the inside of his thigh.

Jethro sucked in a breath. “Think we passed ‘too far’ a while ago, DiNozzo.” He exhaled sharply as the tip of Tony’s nose grazed his balls.

The already aching muscles in Tony’s back twitched in protest as he leaned forward and slowly trailed his tongue up the length of Gibb’s cock, stopping at the carved head to flick his tongue with lightning speed against the sensitive underside of the thick ridge. “Suppose you’re right,” he murmured as his lips closed over the broad head. His tongue plundered the hole in Jethro’s tip that released the salted tangy musk against his taste buds. Tony moaned at the delicious flavor that filled his mouth and Gibbs’ fingernails dug into his shoulders as the vibrations traveled inward and straight up his spine.

With a hand beneath Jethro’s sack, Tony curled his tongue and slowly sank down as far as he could on the fat cock in his mouth. When the muscles of his throat threatened to rebel he swallowed hard and took in the last few inches while Gibbs bucked his hips with a throaty cry that sent a surge of precum dripping down his own erection to tickle his balls.

Withdrawing slightly, he wrapped a tight fist around the base of Jethro’s cock and focused his attentions on the sensitive head, memorizing every spot that made Gibbs curse and twist his hips and especially the ones that made him _beg._ The very fact that Leroy Jethro Gibbs was begging him to suck him, to lick him, to stroke him, faster, deeper, _harder,_ had Tony nearly ready to explode with no touch whatsoever.

Moving his hand, he quickly gathered the slow stream leaking from his own head onto his fingertips and then slipped them back between Jethro’s thighs until he found his puckered hole. Gibbs stiffened at the sensation and Tony stilled the finger that pressed lightly against the tight ring of muscle.

“Jethro, you ever…uh…” he let the question hang there.

“Not unless the person had M.D. after their name.” Gibbs answered breathlessly.

He hadn’t told Tony to stop but he hadn’t relaxed either. “You can tell me to stop if you want, but I promise I won’t hurt you and I promise you’ll enjoy it if you let yourself relax.”

“That easy, huh?” He grunted.

“You just have to trust me. I can make you come harder than you’ve ever come in your life, harder than you ever imagined in your horniest teenage dreams, but only if you let me.” His hand moved slowly and lightly on Jethro’s shaft and he pressed gently against his hole with one slick finger.

There was a deep curiosity in Gibbs’ eyes and he could tell Jethro’s inhibitions were warring with his own desires. When he gave no protest, Tony took him into his mouth again and worked his tongue in agonizingly slow circles that mirrored the movement of his finger against his tight opening. As Gibbs relaxed and got used to the sensation he added light pressure, massaging the muscle until he slipped just the tip of one long finger into Jethro’s impossibly snug heat. He began to move in and out in rhythm with the hand stroking the base of Gibb’s cock and in counterpoint to the lapping of his tongue.

Jethro began to move his hips in tight circles and Tony smiled around the cock in his mouth as he felt Gibbs start to lose control. Taking his cue, he slipped his finger in another inch, gently searching Jethro’s walls for the tiny little gland that would send his world spinning of its axis. He felt the slightly round swelling beneath his fingertip and knew he’s found his mark when Gibbs’ pushed his hips off the chair with a strangled curse and fisted one hand in Tony’s hair while the other clawed desperately at his back.

Removing the hand around Jethro’s shaft, he let Gibbs fuck his mouth in sloppy disjointed thrusts while he curled his finger and stroked his sweet spot again and again. Tony wrapped the fingers of his other hand around his own aching cock and drove himself over and over into his own fist to the rhythm of Jethro’s harsh cries.

The only warning he had before the first jet of hot cum hit the back of his throat was the tightening of muscle around his finger and the momentary cessation of Gibbs’ ragged breathing. The intensity seemed to have taken Gibbs by surprise as well and his whole body stiffened as he gave an exultant roar, spilling again and again into Tony’s mouth. He gladly swallowed every drop and as Jethro’s cries and convulsions decayed to gentle whimpers and trembles, he found his release and coated his palm with his own thick load as he moaned around Gibbs’ still twitching cock.

Releasing Jethro and slowly withdrawing his finger from inside of his body, Tony turned slightly and laid his sweat dampened forehead against the older man’s stomach as they both struggled to catch their breath. He draped his arms over the still trembling thighs that embraced him while Gibbs’ fingers carded softly through the hair they had been nearly pulling out a moment before. Tony pressed his lips reverently to the slightly moist skin beneath his cheek and then turned his face up to the man who meant more to him than his own life.

“Don’t think I’m ever gonna look my doctor in the eye again,” Gibbs panted as he gazed dreamily down at Tony beneath half closed lids.

“Tried to warn you,” Tony smiled as he lazily stroked Jethro’s thighs.

“It was…”

“Intense,” Tony supplied, searching Gibbs’ eyes.

He would never get enough of the way Jethro looked at him when they were like this. That strange mix of surprise and wonder and purpose and _love_ that he had never thought possible was like the brightest ray of light in the universe and it absolutely filled him with everything he needed.

“Tony,” Gibbs’ voice was hoarse as he traced the outline of the younger man’s face with the back of his hand.

“You don’t have to say it, Jethro.”

Gibbs hesitated. “I was just going to say, I think the soup’s boiling.”

“Oh, right.” He tried to cover his thoughts and disappointment as he quickly pulled on his boxers and moved to the sink to wash his hands.

He heard Gibbs moving around behind him but he wasn’t prepared for the strong arms that wrapped around him and held him so tightly he could barely breathe.

“Love you, Tony,” Jethro whispered against his ear. “Love you more than I understand, but I’d be lying to both of us if I said I know what that means right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll make somewhat of an apology for this chapter. Strip scrabble was a kind of a fic challenge between friends and since this was the fic I was writing at the time, I put it in as a scene. Not wholly out of the realm of possibility since they were bored with nothing else to do but in retrospect, I don't feel like that particular scene fits the tone that I established for them throughout the rest of the story. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picks up immediately after the events of the previous chapter.

****

Jethro’s chest hurt and it had nothing to do with the burning in his lungs as he tried to catch his breath after an orgasm so intense he still felt as if every nerve in his body was slowly expanding and unraveling all at once. His weary heart throbbed and ached like a son of a bitch as he gazed down at Tony’s upturned face, a face ablaze with open and naked adoration he was in no way certain he had truly earned.

There was no mistaking that ache, no determining where it had started or where it was leading, and no way to make it stop now that he’d recognized it. He had no idea why he held back the words that sat perched right on the edge of his tongue when the moment was suddenly on him. He was quite certain that _Tony_ had earned them.

Watching the younger man slip quietly into his boxers, seeing the slight slump in his shoulders that he tried so hard to hide, the sheen in his eyes that betrayed the deep disappointment he always covered so well, he knew there was no way he could make him wait a moment longer. No way he could leave him unsatisfied when the truth was so evident to both of them.

_“Love you Tony. Love you more than I understand but I’d be lying to both of us if I said I know what that means right now.”_

It was honesty for good or ill and as he held Tony tight against the ache, held him until his muscles burned, until his chest felt like it was caving in and exploding simultaneously, the words branded themselves on his bones and became as much a part of him as the warmth of the man in his arms.

* * *

 

Tim nearly collided with Ziva outside of Vance’s office.

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” McGee said in exasperation.

“Well, I have been looking all over for you as well,” she accused.

“Is the director in?” Tim glanced nervously at the closed doors.

“I do not know. His secretary is at lunch. I did not want to just barge in.”

“Well that would make you about the only member of Team Gibbs with any semblance of decorum when it comes to entering my office,” Vance said as he came up behind them. “What do you have for me?” He opened the door and led them inside.

Ziva and McGee began to talk over the top of each other and Vance quickly held up his hands.

“Agent David, why don’t you go first?” he said as he took the chair behind his desk.   _How in the hell did Gibbs deal with this all day?_

“I spoke with our victim’s brother, James Fuller. He was given a copy of the men’s itinerary and likely travel routes as well as emergency contact numbers for the Ranger stations in the park. He said that Fuller instructed him not to give the information out to anyone but that he received a call from Lieutenant Langstaff, their CO, not an hour after they were gone. Apparently Langstaff claimed there was a possibility that the unit would be called back early and he needed to have a way to track down Fuller and Gilmore if it became necessary. He didn’t see any harm in giving the information to a their commanding officer which, so far, makes only two people outside of the park staff who had any idea where our victims would be,” she concluded.

Vance turned to McGee.

“And I’ve been doing some checking into the original complaint by Fuller. The investigation Langstaff said was conducted quietly? Director, the investigation wasn’t just quiet, it was non-existent. I’ve checked everywhere and I can’t find _any_ evidence that the complaint went past Langstaff, that he recorded the complaint, or that it was ever even looked into.”

“You think someone destroyed the evidence of the complaint to cover it up? Maybe the corps didn’t want to take any chance of the press finding out about it?” Vance proposed.

“I think it’s simpler than that, Director. I don’t think we’re looking at a cover up or a conspiracy. I think we’re looking at Langstaff trying to hide evidence of his own involvement,” McGee said with more confidence than he really felt.

“I’m listening, Agent McGee,” Vance leaned forward in his chair.

Tim glanced at Ziva for support and continued. “Think about it. The entire unit was deployed to Afghanistan. Tony and Gibbs said after looking at Estes’ journal that they thought there might have been someone else in the unit involved. Going by their description of the man in the photos, we know _someone_ was taking picture Estes. The Lieutenant was the only one who knew that Fuller and Gilmore were aware of the incidents and the only one besides Fuller’s own brother who knew where they would be in the mountains. I’m willing to bet it was Langstaff who got off on watching him molest these women and when he realized hard evidence of his involvement was in the hands of someone who planned to do something about it, someone who could no longer be kept in line by threats from Estes, he decided to take care of it.” The whole thing came out in a rush and Tim found that he was slightly breathless as he waited for Vance to comment on his theory.

“Well, what are you waiting for, McGee?” Vance stood. “Get his ass in here. Now.”

* * *

 

Tony woke in the middle of the night to Gibbs nuzzling gently at his neck and whispering his name.

“Again?” he mumbled as his hands moved against Jethro’s chest. “Think I may have created a monster.”

“You need to get up and get dressed.”

Tony sighed in disappointment when Gibbs pulled away even though he was still more than half asleep. “’S the middle of the night.” He tried to sink back into unconsciousness.

“DiNozzo,” Jethro barked, “dead Marine at Quantico. Grab your gear.”

Tony shot up instantly and threw off his blankets. “On it, Boss,” he said, his body responding automatically. He blinked in the gloomy light of the cabin and turned to a smirking Gibbs. “That was just plain mean, Jethro,” he accused.

“Hey, I tried waking you up the nice way first. Not my fault you sleep like the dead.” He pushed himself off the floor and Tony noticed that Gibbs was already dressed in his jeans and long underwear.

“We making a break for it, Boss?” He began pulling on his boxers.

“Nope. Just something you should see. You’re gonna want all your layers,” he said cryptically.

There was something different about the air in the cabin that Tony couldn’t immediately put his finger on, but as he laced up his heavy boots, the silence surrounding them hit him all at once.

“It’s quiet,” he said, looking up at Gibbs for confirmation.

“Yup. Wind died down about an hour ago,” Jethro nodded.

Tony had grown so accustomed to the gusts that howled beneath the eaves and rattled the shutters and shingles that the sudden silence seemed almost oppressive.

Once they were both fully dressed, Gibbs ushered Tony to the door. “Close your eyes,” he instructed, as he slid back the bolt.

“You’re starting to freak me out, Jethro,” he eyed him suspiciously. “Listen, if this is about my snoring…”

“Just do it, DiNozzo,” Gibbs shook his head impatiently.

“Okay, but if you lock me out in the snow, this relationship is seriously over,” Tony warned.

Jethro looked at him strangely and Tony suddenly realized what he had just said. “Not that we’re in a relationship…I mean, not yet…not that we ever have to…”

The words were lost as Gibbs’ mouth covered his and he was pressed forcefully up against the door by 180 pounds of hard flesh and determination. Jethro thoroughly plundered his mouth again and again while his body effectively pinned Tony to the hard wood until he’d had his fill. When Gibbs finally released him with a tug of teeth at his lower lip, he couldn’t even remember what he had been rambling about a moment before.

Their mouths were still only inches apart and Gibbs leaned in again. “Close. Your. Eyes,” he whispered, lips brushing against Tony’s with every word.

He swallowed hard to hold back the whimper of need that threatened to erupt from his throat but nodded slowly and did as Gibbs asked.

Despite his temptation, he kept his lids pressed tightly together when the blast of colder air from outside hit him and Gibbs gently guided him out into the snow. By now they had worn a bit of a path across the porch so the journey wasn’t that difficult. A few short steps later, Jethro set his hands on the snow covered railing and moved around behind him.

“Open them.”

Tony wasn’t sure whether it was Gibbs’ warm breath against his earlobe or the sound of command in his voice that made him shiver but he obediently opened his eyes and immediately stopped breathing.

The clouds had disappeared along with the wind to reveal a white mountain where heavily burdened pines obscured the view on all sides, their branches kissing the ground beneath several feet of fluffy snow. A full and heavy moon topped the trees above the small clearing in front of the cabin, the entirety of its tumescence circled by a wispy silver halo that glowed against a black sky. Its light, reflected by the snow, bathed everything in soft white radiance creating a sharp monochromatic world that was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Every single surface from stump to treetop sparkled and glinted at him as if it were covered in a trillion tiny diamonds and absolutely nothing moved in the silent glittering world around him.

“Jethro,” he whispered when his lungs finally demanded oxygen.

“I know.”

Gibbs' voice was hushed beside his ear as if he too was unwilling to disturb the perfection of the world around them with useless words. Jethro’s arms snaked around his waist and this time he was absolutely certain his shivers had nothing to do with the cold.

Together they stood in silence and gazed out on the life sized snow globe that surrounded them. Tony’s entire body was aware of Gibbs’ hand slipping beneath his coat and shirt and he was strangely comforted by the way his thumb stroked slowly and rhythmically against his stomach. He knew that the move wasn’t about sex for Jethro, but about increasing the connection between them as they witnessed the type of moment few humans had ever seen on this mountain.

Tony had no idea that he was capable of being so profoundly captivated by something so astonishingly simple as the beauty of the moon on the snow, but as he relaxed back into Jethro’s arms he felt dampness against his cheek.

“Ready for more?” Gibbs whispered.

“Unless you got someone to deliver pizza, I can’t possibly imagine anything that could improve on this,” he sighed.

“Gonna have to work a little for the next part.” Jethro’s arms loosened and he moved back, leading the way to the stairs.

They made their way carefully down the slippery incline and when they reached the bottom, Gibbs began breaking a trail around the side of the cabin, using his body to push the snow aside and sticking close to the foundation where the drifts were slightly less deep. Tony had no choice but to follow and soon they made their way to the heavy shadows around back where the light of the moon did not reach. Jethro leaned wearily against the side of the building, panting with effort in the prickling cold.

Tony faced up the steep hill behind him and looked around but he couldn’t immediately see anything that made this view any more spectacular that the one from the porch. “Gibbs, what…”

Jethro turned to him and pointed up at the sky without breaking eye contact.

Following the long line of Gibbs’ arm, Tony turned his face skyward and almost lost his balance as he was overcome with a strong sense of vertigo. “Whoa,” he whispered in astonishment as Jethro’s hand steadied him.

Tony was a city boy. He was born in New York, raised on the pavement, and accustomed to a night sky that afforded a comforting fuzzy glimpse of the brighter stars and planets when the smog wasn’t too dense. He knew the Big Dipper, had seen Venus, Jupiter, and Mars winking at him over the tops of skyscrapers, and on clear winter nights he even knew how to spot Orion with his belt of glittering stars. He was in no way prepared for the twinkling miasma of light that filled the sky above him from edge to edge and made him believe he could actually feel the slow spinning of the earth beneath him.

“Moonlight’s too bright for your eyes to adjust unless you’re in the shadows,” Jethro whispered.

Tony stared at the man in front of him in disbelief. “Makes me you feel really…”

“Small,” Jethro finished.

“Yeah,” Tony breathed, still wholly overwhelmed by the immensity of the universe above him. Looking up again, Tony wasn’t sure if it was because they were high in the mountains or whether it was just a trick of the crisp air, but the sky hanging above the cabin seemed both alive and tantalizingly close. As if he could climb up on the roof, caress the velvety blackness of the night and pluck the stars from it one by one if he had a mind to.

“Had to show you.” Jethro’s hand traced his jaw.

Gibbs’ voice sounded unusually hoarse and Tony found that instead of watching the stars, Jethro seemed to be utterly enraptured by _his_ enjoyment of them. His throat felt tight as he leaned into Gibbs’ palm and pressed his lips to the tender flesh of his wrist. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Something passed between them as they stood in the silence that was broken only by the eerie creaking of snow laden branches. Surrounded by white clouds of crystal breath and witnessed by the stars, Tony felt the ground that had been shifting beneath him for the last two days come to a sudden and jarring stop as his world settled into a new but steady orbit. It was clear that Jethro felt it too and without a word they both turned and made their way inside.

When they were safely back in the warmth of the cabin, Tony watched as Gibbs began to slowly strip off his layers.

The light inside was much dimmer than the glowing radiance of the moon but those blue eyes never left his as his fingers fumbled at the zipper of his coat and he quickly shed his boots, sweater, t-shirt, and somewhat damp jeans. With every moment he felt an increased sense of urgency, a hard desperation to be naked and pressed to the body of the man undressing across from him.

Gibbs finished first and Tony found himself pushed up against the wall before he could completely shed his long underwear and boxers. Jethro’s cock was hard against his hip and he gasped as greedy searching hands wrapped around his backside to knead and caress his ass, pushing the clinging fabric down his thighs impatiently. The teeth that tugged at his earlobe were unforgiving as they moved to nip at the sensitive flesh of his throat again and again. He felt blood rise to the surface of his skin in hot pools that would most definitely leave some very difficult to explain marks as Gibbs latched on and suckled the pulse in his neck. When Tony cried out, the pressure eased and the soft velvet of a hungry tongue replaced it, gently laving his hurts until he twisted and writhed in Jethro’s arms.

His hands roamed wildly across smooth muscle and he thrust his hips unashamedly as his need coiled higher and tighter and yet Gibbs was unrelenting, his mouth hot and hard and needy against every twitching tendon, every inch of aching flesh.

“Tell me what you need,” Jethro panted in his ear.

Tony had never imagined Gibbs this wild and poised on the edge of abandon, never dreamed that the calloused flesh of his palms would slide across his skin so frantically, and yet he was hesitant to put a name to the thing he wanted.

“Tell me.”

This time he knew it was an order, knew there was no way out, that Gibbs would know if he lied and would continue to press until he said the words out loud. Nails digging into Jethro’s spine as warm breath rasped in his ear, he stepped to the edge of the cliff and out into empty air. “Need you so bad.” The words were a plea. “Need you inside me. Please, Jethro.”

For a moment, his very worst fears seemed to be confirmed as Gibbs suddenly pulled back. But even in the dim light there was no mistaking the smoldering heat in those eyes or the barely restrained hunger as Jethro’s hands balled into fists and his jaw twitched. “Show me,” he growled.

Tony took a deep breath and a hesitant step forward, trying to clear some of the fog from his brain. “You sure?” He wanted to bite his own tongue, to somehow reel the words back into his mouth as he flattened his palms against Jethro’s chest and carded them through the thick hair there, afraid to hear the answer.

“About what we’re going to do?” Gibbs replied, his hands covering Tony’s, “not at all,” he admitted. “About wanting you and everything that comes with that? _Hell_ yes.”

Jethro pushed his hands down until they swept lightly over his belly and slowly circled his cock. “I need a couple of minutes,” Tony said as he stroked the hard erection between his palms a few times before releasing it.

Gibbs looked at him curiously as he walked to the table and pushed a few things aside until he found the bag of condoms and lube they had discovered in the backpack yesterday. He quickly tossed the condoms to Jethro with a wink and then grabbed one of the fuller plastic sport water bottles from the countertop near the sink. “Try not to change your mind while I’m gone,” he tossed over his shoulder as he disappeared into the small cupboard of a bathroom.

________________________________________________________________________________

Jethro hated that he couldn’t take his eyes off of Tony’s backside as he rummaged around in the small kitchen area. The younger man had said he’d need a few minutes and, while he was curious, he thought it might be better not to ask questions at this particular moment. He wasn’t sure he was ready for the answers quite yet.

As the door slid closed, he let out a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, trying to bring his body under some kind of control. It had been a very long time since he’d allowed himself to be so swept up by his baser desires. If Tony had been a woman, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind he’d have buried himself to the hilt and fucked him right up against the wall. As it was, he had been only a hair’s breadth away from doing so anyway. It was only his own fears, his own inexperience, which had held him back.

Jesus, he felt like a fucking virgin. Surely it couldn’t be _that_ different, right?

Naked and still fully hard, he walked over to the shutters and flung them open, allowing the opalescent light from the moon to fill the cabin. The fire had burned low but the air was still warm and he stirred the coals rather than adding more wood. Reclining next to the fire, he hesitated before opening the box of condoms. The unwelcome thought of their victims intruded into his mind momentarily and his cock began to slowly deflate.

Shaking his head, he tore open the cardboard and removed a string of foil packets, tearing two free and placing them above his make-shift pillow.

As he finished, Tony emerged from the other room and quickly rinsed his hands at the sink. Gibbs rolled onto his back and laced his fingers behind his head, crossing his ankles and staring up at the beautiful picture above him.

The moonlight filtering in through the windows gave Tony’s skin a strange luminescence and Jethro traced the long lines of his body from the strong cut of his jaw to the curve of his shoulders to the hint of love handles at his waist. He felt himself swelling again as his eyes roamed over the younger man’s well-muscled thighs and settled on the half-erect cock that was thickening and elongating as he watched.

“Where were we?” Tony’s voice was thick and slightly breathless.

Jethro met the heat of his gaze as DiNozzo dropped to his knees and slowly crawled up his body. Tony straddled his calves and before Gibbs could protest, he’d leaned forward and wrapped his lips around the tip of his cock. His hands fisted in the thick wool blankets and he groaned as the heated passion of a few moments before suddenly roared back to life and coursed through his body with renewed strength.

 _“Fuck!”_ he cursed, when Tony sucked him deep and his engorged and sensitive head hit the smooth muscle at the back of his throat. His shoulders came off the floor and he used every ounce of self control to frantically push the younger man back instead of grabbing his hair and getting off between those talented lips the way his body ached to.

He rolled Tony beneath him and pressed between his thighs, dragging his lips across heated skin until he found DiNozzo’s open mouth and plunged his tongue between lips tinged with his own taste. Jethro slipped a hand between them and ran it over Tony’s throbbing cock as the younger man thrust unashamedly between his fingers. Massaging Tony’s sack delicately against his palm, Gibbs slipped his fingers lower until he encountered the slippery trail of lube that surrounded his hole.

“This what you were doing?” Jethro’s mouth moved against stubbled jaw as his fingers circled the slick opening.

“Partly.” Tony’s breath was hot against his cheek as he pulled his knees higher to allow Gibbs easier access and his eager hands trailed down to cup his ass and pull him closer.  

“You know, if we’re gonna do this, you’re going to have to let me in on a few secrets,” he said as he gently suckled Tony’s earlobe.

“I know, but tonight I’d still like to keep the mystery alive.” He gasped as Jethro’s teeth sank into his sensitive flesh.

Jethro grunted when Tony’s fingers dug deep into the muscle of his backside and he held his breath and pressed a fingertip into the warmth of the younger man’s body. He was surprised when he met no resistance and his finger slid smoothly along tight walls. Moving hesitantly in and out a few times, he tried to remember where Tony had touched him earlier to make him go crazy. Pressing slightly forward, he pushed in again and this time DiNozzo’s hips came off the floor as he cried out in surprise.

“See you’re a quick learn… _ohh_ …” Tony’s response was cut off when Jethro’s finger circled his prostate, apparently trying to memorize the feel of it for later.

“Always was.” He backed off slightly to let the younger man catch his breath momentarily.

A few more strokes of varied pressure and speed and Tony was panting harshly, moaning with each arc of his wrist.

“Want your cock in me, Jethro. Don’t make me come like this,” he begged, licking his lips.

The desperation in his voice made Gibbs’ cock twitch and he withdrew his hand from between Tony’s thighs. Moving to his knees and quickly ripping open one of the foil packets, he sheathed himself in the condom with a practiced hand and looked down to where Tony was lightly stroking his own dick and gazing up at him with lust glazed eyes.

He hesitated, and Tony read his uncertainty immediately.

“You won’t hurt me, Jethro. Trust me, I took care of it. Just use a little of this,” he handed him the tube of lubricant, “and _Jesus_ , do it fast.” He fisted himself hard and arched his back.

Hands against the backs of Tony’s thighs, he moved into position and slid the head of his cock against the slick opening. Holding his breath, he grasped his erection and slowly pushed into the impossibly tight heat of Tony’s body. Jethro shuddered from head to toe when the younger man clenched his muscles. Snug walls caressed him and he felt himself being pulled gently inside while he fought for breath and dug his nails into the supple skin beneath his palms. Drawing back until the firmer ring of tissue gripped the sensitive ridge just below his head, he rocked back and forth in short quick thrusts, learning the rhythm that made Tony gasp and moan.

He _had_ been worried about hurting his partner but his fear quickly vanished as Tony writhed in pleasure beneath him and arched his back to urge him deeper. When he leaned forward and pressed Tony’s knees back toward his shoulders, the younger man gave a low moan and his hands reached out to stroke the furry wall of Gibbs’ chest as he began to move in and out with agonizingly slow strokes that required all of his attention.

Jethro wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming sensation of being so intimately joined to Tony. Eyes locked, bodies entwined, they moved together in a shaky rhythm as Gibbs sank deeper and deeper with each thrust. He’s never imagined the indescribable pleasure of tight moist heat that gripped him like a fist or that Tony’s balls hitting the base of his cock with every stroke would feel so _fucking_ good, he was already dancing dangerously close to the edge of control.

* * *

 

Tony’s muscles burned with the effort of holding off the orgasm that threatened to overtake him if he let his concentration slip for one second. From the moment Jethro’s thick head slid inside of him he’d been an inch away from losing it like a teenager getting his first blow job. He was already halfway through reciting the NCIS agent’s manual in his head and was torn between begging Gibbs to let him come soon and begging him to _never_ stop fucking him.

He’d tried focusing on the blue of Jethro’s eyes in the beginning but the intensity there wasn’t helping his cause at all so he let his gaze drift to the muscles of Gibbs’ shoulders as they bunched and trembled with each slow thrust. He began counting the freckles that peppered the older man’s skin as he tried to distract his body from the coiling warmth that circled his hips and tugged at the base of his spine.

Tony’s prostate had always been sensitive as hell and Jethro had instinctively found the angle and depth that hit him just perfectly. The pressure that was building beneath his cock with each stroke wouldn’t be ignored much longer and he gripped the base of his erection tightly in an effort to hold off the inevitable for a precious few more seconds.

“Gotta come soon,” he panted, “too good…can’t wait, Jethro…oh _fuck!”_ he gasped as Gibbs’ thrusts took on a new and frantic urgency that sapped the very last of his control.

“Feels so good inside you…so fucking good.” Jethro’s voice was tight with effort as the movement of his hips grew more forceful and he drove in again and again in desperation to push Tony over the edge first. “Wanna watch you come.”

Tony’s curses echoed off the walls as Jethro suddenly grasped his cock in a trembling fist and began jerking him off to the rhythm of his reckless inelegant thrusts. His body stiffened with the first strong contraction of muscle and tissue and nerves that sent a thick stream of cum erupting from his head to cover his chest and shoulder and even spatter the pillow beside his ear. His fingertips clawed the skin of Jethro’s chest, the blankets, the wood floor, the brick of the fireplace as he reached blindly for something, anything, to cling to while he shook from head to toe, his body refusing to stop coming even after he was drained of everything he had. Gibbs was still watching him, holding off his own pleasure until Tony came down. The only problem was, with Jethro still moving against his overly sensitized tissues, he _couldn’t_ come down no matter how hard he willed his muscles to relax and the waves that washed over him and made his limbs feel like lead were unrelenting.

Finally, Jethro gave a wrenching groan and shuddered violently, gasping as he came hard with a few final deep thrusts into Tony’s heat.

As Gibbs slowly lowered his weight onto Tony’s body, the younger man wrapped his arms and legs around him and gently stroked the dewy flesh of his back in slow circles. Jethro was still buried deep inside him and as Tony’s muscles twitched with aftershocks of pleasure the sweet vibrations travelled straight through the older man’s body causing him to tremble and the cycle to begin again.

Jethro’s lips moved endlessly against the flesh just below his ear in words he couldn’t immediately decipher. When the three syllable mantra suddenly unscrambled itself in his fuzzy brain, Tony’s chest grew tight and he used the only breath he could find to give the only answer he could. “I love you too, Jethro.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

****

“Have a seat, Lieutenant.” McGee gestured to the chair facing the glass.

“I’ll wait for the agent in charge if it’s all the same.” Langstaff’s tone was neutral and calm but his demeanor bespoke an underlying disdain.

“I’m the agent in charge. I’m very sorry for the inconvenience, sir, but I’m sure you can appreciate the seriousness of the case we’re investigating. The director was certain you’d want to be as cooperative as possible in helping us track down the person or persons responsible for the death of your men.” Tim could see that his tone had the desired effect. The corner of Langstaff’s mouth twitched as he suppressed a grin and McGee didn’t miss the fact that his shoulders dropped a few inches. There was no doubt in his mind that he was looking at a man who’d been sure he was next in line for the gallows and had suddenly seen the rope fraying.

“Can I offer you anything Lieutenant? Water? Coffee?” McGee shuffled the files on the table, pretending to be look for something.

“I’m fine, Agent..?”

“Oh, McGee. Sorry. Just need a second here.” When he had effectively created chaos with his files on the desktop he continued in the same unassuming tone. “Right, so you told me earlier that Sergeant Fuller filed a complaint with you alleging evidence of wrongdoing against Sergeant Estes, is that correct?”

“It is.”

“You know, it’s funny, we’ve been looking all over trying to get a copy of your report on the complaint and the findings of your investigation and we haven’t been able to find anything. I’m sure there’s just a filing error somewhere.” He looked up at Langstaff and appeared to have a thought. “Unless there was no record of the complaint or an investigation?”

Langstaff’s jaw twitched.

“Nahh…I’m sure you kept a record, because, I mean, someone who didn’t keep a record of something like that, well, it might look like they were trying to hide something, Lieutenant.”

“I’m not sure I like what you’re implying, Agent McGee.”

“My apologies, Lieutenant. I certainly didn’t mean to _imply.”_ He shuffled his papers again.”Really this whole thing is just a formality. I mean, we’ve already got the evidence that you were involved with Estes in the rape and torture of countless female detainees while on tour in Afghanistan. Linking you to the murders is just a matter of processing a few more pieces of evidence.”

His bomb had the desired effect. Langstaff’s jaw had dropped to the table and his eyes were as big as saucers. Tim wasn’t sure he had ever seen a suspect turn that particular shade of crimson but he kept his mask of naiveté in place. “I’m sorry. Did they…did they not tell you that when they asked you to come in? Ah well, what’s done is done. Let’s see…you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you yadda yadda yadda…I’m sure you’re familiar with the rest. Do you understand article 31 your rights?”

Langstaff continued to sputter.

* * *

 

Ziva opened the door to the observation room and slipped inside to where Vance stood with his hands behind his back calmly watching McGee.

“How is he doing?”

“Just getting started. Got to hand it to the kid, he certainly knows how to get them off their game with the unassuming geek act,” Vance chuckled.

“He practices on Tony.” She smiled fondly and listened to the audio for a moment.

“I have spoken with the park rangers’ office. A road has been cleared and they have found our victims’ car as well as another vehicle which was reported stolen in a small town outside the park. The thief fits Estes’ description. I have asked that both vehicles be brought here for Abby to process as soon as possible. They should arrive in the next few hours.”

“Good. Any other word on our prime suspect?”

“Nothing of value. An young couple reported picking up a hitchhiker matching his description outside of the park. It is quite common to give rides to hikers in the area, especially during inclimate weather, so they did not think anything of it until they saw his picture on the news. They drove him to the nearest town and dropped him at a general store. I have sent a team to make inquiries in the area. I hope that I have not overstepped my bounds but with Agent Gibbs still gone…” She looked at Vance for approval.

“No. You did the right thing. If Estes wants to disappear, I’m not sure it will turn up anything but we can’t afford to waste any leads.”

“You think he has disappeared then?” she said thoughtfully.

“If Gibbs is right about this journal being a trophy, I think we have something he wants, possibly something he needs. I’d be surprised if he stayed down for good.” He paused for a moment as McGee’s voice rose. “I’m not going to rest easy until both the journal and our Agents are safely back at NCIS.”

“And I will not rest easy until he is safely in shackles for what he did to those men,” she growled.

* * *

 

“Tell me about the last time you spoke to Sergeant Estes, Lieutenant,” McGee leaned forward and fingered the file next to him. Langstaff had recovered slightly from the bomb he’d dropped a moment before and he didn’t want to give him time to get his feet fully underneath him again.

“I suppose I spoke to him as he was leaving base. I don’t remember anything in particular about our conversation,” Langstaff looked down to where McGee’s finger toyed with the edge of the folder.

“So you didn’t speak to Langstaff after he left the base?”

“Not that I recall, no.”

“Does it help refresh your memory at all if I tell you that we have your cell phone records and that those records show multiple conversations between you and Estes after base logs record him leaving? Does it help your memory at all if I tell you we have a witness who observed you and Estes in a heated conversation before he left the base regarding a missing item from his footlocker?” Tim opened the folder and laid out several pieces of paper.

“You know what else we found interesting, Lieutenant? It’s this call right here.” He pointed to a highlighted line. “Because _this_ is the call you made to Sergeant Fuller’s brother. I’m curious. What could possibly have prompted you to make that call?”

“As I told the other agent and the Sergeant’s brother, there was a possibility that we might have to recall the men early and it was important that I know how and where to contact them if necessary.” Langstaff’s tone seemed calm but McGee could see he was barely holding on to the edge of his temper.

“Of course. Then, can you explain to me why you made no other calls to the men or the families of the men in your unit? What made Fuller so special?” McGee leaned back in his chair. Langstaff was caught in his own lie and he had to admit he wanted to see how he would dance around the truth this time.

“Agent McGee, I had no desire to speak ill of the dead but it appears I have no choice. Fuller and Gilmore were a problem. As their commanding officer, I was concerned that their activities while on liberty might discredit the reputation of their unit and the Corps. I needed to know that their plans did not include certain actions that might prove…inconvenient, if they were made public. Especially considering the publicity surrounding Corporal Gilmore’s upcoming commendation.”

“So you were just looking out for their best interests?” McGee kept the statement intentionally neutral.

“I have a duty to protect my men and the Corps, Agent McGee,” he said with an air of benevolence.

“Of course. And by your statement I see that you were aware of the relationship between Fuller and Gilmore? The _sexual_ relationship, I mean?” Tim watched as Langstaff’s lip curled in distaste.

“I was.” He managed to keep his voice under control.

“And were you also aware that Estes was threatening these men due to the nature of their relationship? That he was using that information in order to get them to keep silent about their knowledge of your and Estes’ own “activities” while in Afghanistan?”

“’Don’t ask, don’t tell’ may be a thing of the past but the military still has a code, Agent McGee, and Fuller and Gilmore were in violation of it. If one of my men chose to take matters into his own hands to try and put a stop to it quietly, I have no knowledge of it, nor of the other accusations you have made against me.” Langstaff picked nonchalantly at a fingernail.

“Then perhaps you can explain why the next call you made after speaking to Fuller’s brother was to Sergeant Estes’ cell phone.” He shot up from his chair and threw photos of their crime scene down on the table.

“These are your men, Lieutenant. This is what that monster did to them.” Tim didn’t miss the light of amusement that bloomed in Langstaff’s eyes as he stared down at the photos and he was sickened by the fact that the Lieutenant was obviously pleased by what he saw.

“My God. That really is a shame. I do hope you catch him but I still don’t see what this has to do with me beyond the fact that I need to replace three of my men.”

 “I think you’re missing the reality of the situation, Lieutenant. We already have more than enough evidence to bring you before a Court-martial. I personally intend to make sure that when we finish processing the evidence that tells me you called Estes and _sent_ him up to that mountain, that you _purposely_ and _with intent of malice,_ released the equivalent of an attack dog with a sniper rifle to brutally murder your men and cover your own ass, that ass will spend the rest of its life in a Federal prison making some interesting new friends.” Tim’s voice cut the air between them like the cold, hard edge of a sword. “Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Tell me where to find Estes.” He slammed the flat of his palm on the table.

* * *

 

Gibbs stared into the fire and gently stirred the coals with a long stick from the comfort of the old rocker while Tony snored gently at his feet on the piece of floor that had been their bed for nearly 3 days now.

Three days.

He expected to feel different about himself after how he’d been behaving with DiNozzo over the last three days, after the things they had done, _the_ thing _he_ had done. As if the act of making love with a man, with Tony, would somehow change the core of who he was.

Strangely, the opposite was true. He felt calm but intensely aware of his own thoughts, his own body, and was suffused with a feeling of completion and of fullness that started in the center of his chest and sent tendrils of warmth running in every direction. Not that this was something he had been missing out on all his life, but that being with Tony, specifically, filled in a deep crack within him, mended a chink in his armor that had been so well concealed he hadn't even been aware of it.

The silence on this mountain, the clarity in this world of complete isolation had allowed him to think, to hear, to _feel_ all the things that had been there for so long but whose presence had gone nearly undetected amidst the cacophony of his everyday life.

Looking up at the now shuttered windows, he could see daylight shining around their edges. It had been a long and largely sleepless night and there was certainly no reason for either of them to be awake, no reason to set an alarm of any kind. He’d been unable to sleep for more than an hour after Tony had drifted off earlier but he’d found something more peaceful than sleep as he listened to Tony’s breathing and rocked quietly, letting his mind float to the gentle crimson crackle of the flames.

After a time, he’d dressed again and wandered back outside where the moon was slowly setting behind the mountain. Beneath the porch he’d found that the layer of snow was quite thin, especially near the house and he was easily able to find what he was looking for, a special surprise for Tony that now sat warming near the edge of the fire as he continued to rock.

Sometime in the last day it had occurred to him that, while he was more driven than ever to personally put his hands around the neck of whoever had so brutally slaughtered those young marines, there was a part of him that was loathe to return to the rest of the world, to let anyone else intrude into what he had found here with Tony. Here there was simplicity and silence, nothing to balance, nothing to juggle, and no one to lie to.

He was certainly no stranger to lies of omission, he had lived one for more than a decade, but he didn’t want this to be a lie, didn’t want to hide the part of him that was finally awake again after so long.

In that moment he understood something about their victims, identified with their final pain in a way that was much too intimate for his own comfort.

There were going to have to be some significant changes in both of their worlds in the very near future. He’d been thinking about them for some time anyway but there was certainly no way to avoid them now. Sometimes choices had to be made and he’d made his 3 days ago as he’d lain on the floor cradling Tony’s deathly cold body in his arms. He was fairly certain that Tony had made his long before that. He only hoped he was as prepared as he wanted to be for the reality of those choices.

Tony stirred slightly and Jethro noticed, not for the first time, that he winced as he rolled from his side onto his stomach. He’d known about Tony’s back problems for years, remnants of his jock years and far too many bone jarring impacts from 280lb defensive linemen. Gibbs had ignored the younger man’s generally quiet suffering the way he had ignored so many other things for far too long. He felt horrible about the sleeping arrangements but was also powerless to do anything to change them until help arrived.

Jethro used the fireplace tongs to pull the two large flat stones he’d gathered earlier to the edge of the hearth and then quickly wrapped them in one of the wool blankets they had set aside when it proved unnecessary. He placed them on the floor next to Tony who stirred as he slipped beneath the blankets.

His palm settled in the curve of the younger man’s back and began rubbing gentle circles. He could easily feel the knots and tension along Tony’s spine and he slowly worked them with the tips of his fingers. DiNozzo moaned softly in his sleep and Jethro moved closer, his mouth seeking out the sensitive places at the nape of Tony’s neck. The warm taste of the younger man’s skin was fast becoming his favorite addiction.

Gibbs could tell Tony was waking as his soft moans and grunts became more focused and he pressed up into the palm of the hand that kneaded his sore muscles.

“Feels so good,” he sighed contentedly.

“Got something for you.” Jethro brushed his lips lightly across Tony’s.

“Whatever it is, if it involves you stopping what you’re doing with your hand right now, I don’t want it.”

His delighted moan made Jethro’s cock swell.

“Trust me,” he whispered, “This is worth it.” Gibbs pushed himself up on his knees, lifted the make-shift heating pad, and laid it gently across Tony’s lower back. “This is going to be a little heavy at first but you’ll thank me in about 2 minutes.”

______________

Tony was in heaven. After waking to the pleasure-pain of strong fingers untying the knots in his spine, he couldn’t imagine what could possibly be better, but as weight settled on either side of his backbone and delicious heat began to sink deep into his aching muscles, his eyes rolled back in his head and he became a puddle beneath the blankets as Gibbs pulled them up around his shoulders and then settled in beside him.

“I don’t know what in the world I did to deserve this but whatever it is, I promise to do it again.” Jethro’s lips moved against his neck in a delicate caress he’d never imagined the older man capable of and he shifted slightly to give his rapidly swelling cock a little room.

“Don’t like seeing you in pain. Never could stand it,” Gibbs whispered close to his ear.

“Funny, I thought it was the exact opposite. Sometime in 2006 I actually noticed my hats fitting differently because of the flat spot on the back of my head,” his laugh turned into a moan as something released in his back with a tiny ‘pop’.

“ _Real_ pain, DiNozzo. Those head slaps are no worse than mosquito bites. Though, if you wanted, I could smack your ass instead.” His teeth bit sharply into Tony’s earlobe.

“Think that might be dangerous for both of us. Someone might get the wrong idea if I walked around with a hardon all day screwing up on purpose.” They’d inadvertently opened the door to the discussion about what life would be like for them provided they ever made it off the mountain and Tony felt the air thicken with tension. He lay in silence for a few minutes, listening to the sound of Jethro’s breathing while he wondered if either of them would have the nerve to jump in.

“How’s the back?” Gibbs finally changed the subject like a man skilled in the art of avoidance.

“Letting go. Think it’s relaxed enough that you could crack it if you’re willing.”

“Think you’re mistaking me for your chiropractor.”

“Trust me, even an amateur could do this. Just put the heels of your hands on either side of my spine and press down hard. Nothing to it.” He crossed his arms and rested his forehead against them in preparation, anticipating that Gibbs would eventually acquiesce to his request.

“And here I thought going out into the snow for these would be enough to make you happy.” Jethro rolled his eyes and threw back the covers with a groan. “You sure this isn’t just a ploy to get me to fuck to you again.”

“If it was, would it work?” DiNozzo asked hopefully.

Tony felt the warm weight against his back ease when Gibbs removed it and set the stones beside the fire to reheat. The momentary loss of warmth was disappointing until it was replaced with Jethro’s own comforting weight as skin slid against skin and the older man’s thighs embraced him.

“Guess you’ll have to wait and see,” Jethro chuckled.

His breath left his body when firm pressure from Gibb’s hands pushed his hips into the floor and caused his spine to pop and crackle. Muscles and tendons all the way up to his shoulder blades quivered and twitched as the deep tension that had been building with each night on the cold hard floor finally began to let go.

“Higher,” he croaked, gritting his teeth.

“You are _so_ going to owe me for this,” He reset his hands against Tony’s back and put his shoulders into it.

“Best. Boss. Ever.” Tony’s words were punctuated with a deep groan.

“What did I say about calling me ‘boss’ when we’re naked?” The next dig of his palms into Tony’s ribs was slightly harder than necessary.

“UGH! Won’t happen again, Jethro,” he panted as he collapsed against his folded arms.

“Better now?”

Gibbs’ hands began to roam over his shoulders, digging deep into tight flesh. As sore muscle relaxed and uncoiled he became mesmerized by the slow and methodical caresses of Jethro’s palms. He was the wood beneath those calloused fingertips, he was the grain and the curve and he fell deeper and deeper under their spell until he could almost be convinced he was slowly melting into the floorboards.

“Perfect,” he sighed.

* * *

 

Jethro loved the feeling of Tony’s smooth skin and hard muscle sliding beneath his fingers. The younger man’s sighs and groans had his cock swollen and aching, his balls tight and heavy against the curve of Tony’s backside.

When the knots beneath his palms had all but disappeared, he shifted slightly and stretched out along Tony’s length, using his elbows to support some of the weight of his upper body.

“’M’I hurting you?” Jethro asked as his lips dipped to Tony’s shoulder.

“No. Weight feels good actually. You feel good,” he added in a baritone purr.

Gibbs relaxed and let more of his weight settle on Tony, staying alert for any sign that he was causing discomfort as he traced a lazy line across the younger man’s back from shoulder to shoulder with his mouth.

To say that he was still stunned by his body’s needy and exuberant reaction to Tony was a drastic understatement, but he accepted the fact that it was something he really didn’t need to try to wrap his mind around at the moment. Regardless of the why’s and when’s and how’s there was certainly no denying it and as Tony pulled a knee up toward his chest and his cock slipped into the tight curve between his cheeks, Jethro felt a wave of desire so violent, he trembled from head to toe with the heat of it.

He couldn’t remember the feeling of needing someone so much, of wanting to possess them so utterly and completely. Everything seemed amplified with Tony, as if someone had turned up the volume on his libido, turned up the color on his entire world. He’d come three times with Tony in a fairly short span of time for someone his age and he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that each orgasm had been better and more intense than the one before it. Better and more intense than he could _ever_ remember experiencing, and still he wanted more.  

Jethro rolled his hips as he nipped at the flesh covering the base of Tony’s neck and sank deeper into the tight embrace of his body. “Need you,” he whispered hotly into his ear. There was an unspoken question there, still so many things he didn’t know.

Tony reached in front of him and handed back the lube and condom he had left sitting by the pillow from last night. “You never have to ask, Jethro.”

Shifting his weight carefully, he rose up on his knees and tore at the condom with eager fingers. The desire to bury himself in Tony’s heat again was a stronger pull than he was prepared for but he still sheathed himself carefully and secured the condom tightly at the base of his shaft.

The bottle of lube was warm from lying next to the fire and he made quick use of it before tossing it to the side and lining up the head of his cock with Tony’s puckered hole. It was far too soon for him to spend too much time thinking about exactly what it was he was doing and he closed his eyes and grasped himself tightly, pressing unrelentingly forward until velvet warmth embraced him and he slipped in as deeply as he could with a few short strokes.

Opening his eyes again, he found that Tony had pushed himself up on his elbows and arched his back, pulling his knee up higher to allow him to sink just a little deeper. Balancing on his palms, he leaned forward and slowly lowered his weight back onto the younger man, slipping one arm around his shoulder and dropping his mouth down to trace the outline of Tony’s ear with his tongue.

He rocked backward and then slid in again with agonizing slowness, letting the tight embrace of Tony’s body welcome him inch by inch. There were no words to convey the tender ache that had been with him all day and all night as he sat watching Tony and even as his lips moved gently and repeatedly over the curve of his shoulder, the lobe of his ear, the arch of his neck he knew it would never be enough. Nothing would ever be enough where Tony was concerned.

Jethro moved unhurriedly, taking what he needed, giving Tony everything he had and memorizing the rough and the smooth and the ache of it all again and again as their bodies rolled together. The restraint cost him dearly and he was soon covered in a fine sheen of sweat, his muscles burning with every measured and deliberate stroke, yet he never wanted it to end. But each gasp of need, each whimper of delight from the man beneath him made the blood sing louder in his veins, pushed him closer to the edge while his mouth moved constantly next to Tony’s ear, whispering things he had never in his life dared to utter aloud.

“Wanna stay inside you all day,” he murmured. “Feel you tight and hot and wrapped around me…make you come until you can’t think of anything else…anything but me inside you…every day.” Jethro began to move faster, measured strokes followed by a few quick thrusts that brought him right up to the precipice but left him just enough room to back off again while Tony’s throaty cries rang off the walls around them.

His voice became a rasping growl of velvet grazing steel as his jaw tightened and he picked up the pace. “Want you to say my name when you come.” His sweat slicked chest slid smoothly against the equally damp skin of Tony’s back. “Want you to remember that every time I say your name…I’ll be thinking about this…about being inside you…Just for a second.” His fingernails sank deeper into the flesh beneath his palm and his words grew strained. “Just this.” He clung to the last ounce of control. “Every. Single. Time. Tony.” He punctuated each word with a brutal thrust of his hips before he stiffened and came with a choked cry, each delicious convulsion hot and hard and long and accompanied by the sweet music of Tony moaning his name over and over. The heat around him twitched and contracted, milking every last drop from his cock until there was nothing left and he collapsed in a sated heap on top of his lover.

It took some time for either of them to find breath to form words again but it was Tony who recovered first.

“Did you…did you mean those things, Jethro?” he sounded slightly awed.

Gibbs reached down and pulled out of Tony’s body gently, taking just a moment to dispose of the condom and allow Tony to roll over beneath him before he stretched out by his side, half of his body still covering the younger man’s as he stroked the tendrils of sweat dampened hair from his forehead. “When have you known me to say anything I didn’t mean, Dinozzo?”

“Never, I suppose, but I mean that was…”he looked up at Jethro as if he was suddenly a complete mystery, “that was _hot,_ Gibbs. I mean _HOT._ I know hot and that was really, really…”

“Hot?” He whispered, dipping down to capture Tony’s lips.

“Mmm,” he sighed contentedly. “Very hot. Tell me how it is that you have three ex wives again? I can't imagine giving this up for anything in the world.”

Jethro was quiet for a moment. “This was never the part I was bad at,” he said somewhat regretfully.

“Hey,” Tony reached up and traced the outline of his jaw, “maybe two people who suck at intimacy cancel each other out, like two negatives making a positive?”

He smiled down at the younger man. “I’d say we’re doing okay so far.” Jesus, how was he already getting hard again?

Tony glanced down to where Gibbs had begun to swell between his thighs. “I’d say we are too.”

Both men jumped when the radio on the table suddenly crackled to life.

 


	8. Chapter 8

****

They were going home.

Back to the land of hot showers, hand tossed pizza, and 800 thread count sheets on pillow-top mattresses. Tony should have been ecstatic, should have been ready to head out the door and meet the rescue party halfway down the mountain at a dead run and yet, as he glanced around at the crackling fireplace and it’s welcoming warmth, the deliciously rumpled mess of their bedding, the empty rocking chair whose gentle creaking had fast become his favorite lullaby, he felt a deep sense of loss at the thought of finally leaving this place that had been their three day haven.

The feeling of strong arms wrapping around his waist startled him from his wistful reverie. He realized that Gibbs must have noticed him pausing in the act of setting a pot of water in the fireplace to boil and drawn the appropriate conclusion.

“I’ll miss it too,” Jethro whispered close to his ear.

Tony laughed to in a pathetic attempt cover the fact that his voice was hoarser than he would have liked it to be and spoke around the unanticipated and slightly maddening lump that had formed in his throat. “Are you kidding? Miss sleeping on these hard wood floors? Washing in cold water? That iceberg of a toilet seat in the mornings?” he scoffed. “I was just thinking we better make damn sure Abby doesn’t get her hands on those sleeping bags for DNA testing.”

“I’ll take care of it.” The sound of Jethro’s voice said he knew what was really beneath those words.

Tony was desperate to keep moving and not think about what would happen the moment the rest of the world intruded on their intimacy, but the arms around his waist only tightened and held him more firmly against the warmth of Gibbs’ chest.

“Gibbs,” he swallowed, “when we leave here…” He couldn’t finish so he left the unspoken question hanging between them.

“Everything changes.”

Tony’s pulse faltered as Jethro’s hand moved up to cover the space above his heart. 

“But _nothing_ changes,” he murmured, lips moving softly against the sensitive spot behind Tony’s ear.

His body responded to the sweet invitation of Gibbs’ mouth with a rush of fiery heat that flooded his belly and overflowed straight into his cock.  He closed his eyes and pressed backward against Jethro. “How long until they get here?” he asked breathlessly.

“Not long enough for that _and_ putting this place back in order.” Gibbs’ mouth continued to work against his neck torturously.

“It doesn’t have to be _that_ orderly right? This water’s gonna take a while to… _shit!”_ he hissed, as Jethro’s teeth sank into his shoulder and a tight fist closed around his aching cock through his jeans.

“Guess you have a point.”

Moist heat covered his earlobe as Gibbs suckled and nipped at him.

“Gonna have to make it fast.”

Tony could feel Jethro’s erection against the curve of his ass as the older man pressed his hips in. “Trust me, I can do fast.” He spun in Gibbs’ arms and quickly pushed him backwards until Jethro and the nearest wall collided with a harsh grunt. There was half a heartbeat where he was concerned that Gibbs wouldn’t like him playing the aggressor, but Tony’s fears were dashed when his mouth descended on Jethro’s, hard and hot and hurting and an eager tongue shot out to meet his in shared desperate exuberance to enjoy their last few moments alone.

He tugged hard, stripped Gibbs’ sweatshirt off sloppily before cementing their mouths together once more and fumbling his belt with impatient fingers. Not even bothering with the zipper, he slipped his hand inside, pushing the closure down with his wrist as he drew out Jethro’s thick cock.

His own jeans hung below his hips thanks to Gibbs’ practiced hands, and his t-shirt was bunched under his arms and across his ribs. Quick didn’t matter, comfort didn’t matter, time didn’t matter.  Because at the moment all that _did_ matter in the entire fucking universe was the taste of Jethro on his tongue and the heated friction against his dick as it slid against his partner’s skin in the tight space between their stomachs.

Being pinned against the wall didn’t stop Jethro from clawing feverishly at his ass or thrusting and twisting and writhing against him until Tony was nearly ready to explode.

No, fast was _definitely_ not going to be a problem.

Gibbs slipped a hand between their bodies and circled both their heads with his palm in a gesture reminiscent of their first time together. The increased pressure and slick velvet of Jethro’s cock against his was all he needed. Pulling back from Gibbs’ mouth, he sucked much needed air into his lungs and released it in a deep growl as he dropped his head back, clenched his jaw and plunged toward his finish.

 Hips pistoning tight and sloppily into Jethro’s snug embrace, fingers clinging to the soft steely tendrils at the back of his partner’s head,  Tony spent himself in one final thrust just as Jethro’s hand fisted against his back and the slick heat of their combined release covered them both.

Breathless and trembling, the pair slid to the floor where Tony slumped against Jethro’s chest awkwardly, not caring about the sticky wetness that clung to their sweat dampened skin. His fingers circled Gibbs’ wrist and he brought the cum slicked palm to his mouth, taking a generous taste with his tongue and spreading their combined musk across his lips. Reaching up, he dragged Jethro’s mouth to his and kissed him lightly, pulling back to see his reaction to their mingled flavor.

Gibbs ran his tongue over his lips tentatively before a radiant smile spread across his face and he dropped his head back against the wall with a soft thump and a heavy sigh.

“That bad or that good?” Tony asked hesitantly.

“It’s different,” Gibbs said slowly.

“Means the world that you were willing to try,” he smiled, well aware that they were revisiting the discourse that had followed their first kiss.

“Didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Jethro smiled down at him gently and traced the outline of his jaw.

Tony reached up and swiped his finger over Gibbs’ nose, a gesture he would never have thought possible without risk of bodily harm only a few days ago. “So?”

Soft lips whispered across his.

“It was you…I loved it.”

* * *

 

The heavy creaking on the wooden porch an hour later alerted them to the presence of an intruder in their sacred haven.

Taking no chances, they had left the door bolted and the windows firmly shuttered. Gibbs took up a position at the door with his weapon drawn while Tony slowly unlatched the heavy wooden window covering and looked outside, keeping himself out of sight as much as possible.

He let out a deep breath when two reddened but familiar faces peered back at him through the glass. The two rangers who had discovered the scene, including the young blond who had been giving him the eye at the landing site, were busily stripping off packs and shedding their snow shoes.

Tony quickly signaled the all-clear to Gibbs who held his eyes for perhaps slightly longer than was absolutely necessary and then turned the heavy door bolt.

Tracking in snow and ice, the two men entered the warmth of the cabin and squinted as their eyes adjusted to the dimmer light. The sun was shining through a thin layer of cloud outside and the reflection off of the world of white around them had to have been somewhat blinding.

“Hope you two haven’t fared too badly up here,” the young man he remembered as Smith said as he looked around at the fairly tidy cabin.

Tony wracked his brain for the older ranger’s name but came up empty. Everything that had happened prior to them arriving at the cabin seemed distant, as if he were recalling events through someone else’s memories. Thankfully, Gibbs seemed to be having an easier time of it.

“Best vacation I’ve had in years, actually. When this is all over I might think about coming back for a week. Minus the blizzard next time. How was the trail?” Closing the door, Gibbs led them inside where they began warming themselves by the fire.

“Not gonna lie to you, it was pretty rough in some spots. Had to circle around some drifts and a few downed trees, but for the most part the snow is packing nicely. Heading down should be a much easier go,” Fischer opened a water bottle and took a long pull.

“How long until you can be ready to head out again?” Gibbs asked, beginning to place their packs, the victims’ packs, and the bagged evidence in a pile near the door.

“Not long. We’d rest longer if we could but there are a whole lot of folks waiting for your safe return and we don’t want to lose the light. We have sleds for the packs and extra snowshoes for both of you.” He gestured to the growing pile by the door. “Easier than trying to carry everything.”

Gibbs and Fischer continued to talk trail conditions and the details of their trek down the mountain while Tony moved quietly over to the bookcase and slowly removed the cabin’s log book. Cradling it between his knees, he searched for something that would adequately capture his time here without being too revealing.

Finally, he settled on a quote he had read in one of the books he’d found on Jethro’s dusty shelves. One he had pretended to study on more than one occasion in the basement when he was really studying the rippling play of the muscles of Gibbs’ forearm as he sanded or planed some piece of wood. Somehow, those words had worked their way into his brain despite his distraction at the time.

Tony signed both of their names and placed the date beside it. It was simple, true, but a thousand words would never do justice to what he had found in this place when all had almost been lost.

Sensing a presence, he looked up to find Smith studying him speculatively over his left shoulder.

“Sounds like you didn’t suffer too much during your forced exile either. You know, the offer from the other day still stands. I’d love to give you a private tour of the park sometime when we’re both not on duty. Maybe even come back up here?” He asked hopefully.

“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’m going to have to pass this time.” He glanced over at Gibbs briefly and then back up into the striking blue eyes that widened in surprise.

“Man, I’m really sorry. I didn’t think you and he were…I mean, I didn’t think he was…” He let it hang there.

“He’s not…well, not exactly.” He peeked over at Gibbs to make sure their conversation was flying under the radar. “He’s…It’s…complicated.” Tony shook his head, unable to explain.

Smith leaned close. “The best ones always are,” he smiled, “but if you ever change your mind…” He slipped Tony a card with a cell phone number clearly written on the back.

Of course it was that moment that Gibbs and Fischer picked to end their discussion and turn toward them. He didn’t miss the flash of green in Gibbs’ eyes as he took in the card that Tony hastily tucked into his pocket.

“Christ, Smith. You can’t wait five minutes to hit on him?” Fischer rolled his eyes and turned to Gibbs with a long-suffering look. “Sorry about him. He’s always got eyes for the pretty ones, but he’s generally harmless. Now I know why he was so adamant that we be the ones to make the trip up here.” He narrowed his eyes at Smith. “And you said it was because we were the only ones they’d recognize. I should have known it was your hormones signing me up for a ten mile hike.”

Smith flashed a toothy grin and looked wholly unapologetic. Tony liked the easy relationship between the two rangers.

“I think Agent DiNozzo is more than capable of taking care of himself,” Gibbs gruffed as he turned to the fire and spread the glowing embers before putting the screen firmly in place.

“Besides,” Smith said with a dramatic sigh, “he assures me he’s taken.”

“Thank God. At least I won’t have to deal with you drooling all over him for the rest of the trip.” Fischer smiled warmly at his partner. “If the dating game is over can we get this show in the road? Even downhill we’ve got a lot of miles to make before the sun goes down." He turned to Gibbs. "I'm afraid the passes will close at dusk so you'll have to spend the night at our lodge until we can get you out at first light. We're still doing a lot of clean up and there is only one road in and out right now.”

Jethro nodded, glancing at Tony, letting him know without words that he would have chosen to stay if there were any way possible. "Lead the way."

* * *

 

The slow descent down the mountain was easier than Tony had anticipated. He marveled that the light pieces of aluminum strapped firmly to his boots allowed him to plod across the top of several feet of snow almost as if it was solid ground. His feet still sank in a few inches and his initial strides had been a bit awkward, but once he had found a rhythm the going was actually pretty easy, though he was still somewhat slow. Gibbs seemed to take to his snowshoes like a duck to water and he had no problem keeping up with the more experienced rangers who moved rapidly despite being additionally burdened by the sleds.

After awhile Tony had fallen slightly behind, though he wasn’t worried. He could clearly see the trail made by the men in front of him and he knew they weren’t that far ahead. Enjoying the muffled silence of the woods around him, Tony became lost in his own thoughts.

As they’d walked away from the cabin he had done everything he could to keep himself from looking back, but when they'd rounded the corner that would hide it from view for good, he hadn’t been able to resist one final glance. Tony couldn’t help feeling that the moment the cabin disappeared, everything that had happened there would suddenly fade as well, become something he was disconnected from, could no longer touch and smell and taste. His eyes and throat burned at the thought.

A gentle hand on his shoulder had roused him and he’d found himself confronted with the bright blue of Jehtro’s sympathetic gaze.

Removing his hand from his glove, he’d swiped angrily at his eyes. “Sun’s really bright out here. Guess I’m not used to it.”

“We have to move, Tony,” Gibbs said softly, drawing out his name just slightly.

“Yeah.” He’d shuddered as the memories of Jethro’s whispered words from the early morning washed over him. Tony may have been mistaken, but Gibbs’ voice had sounded a little tight as well.

Now, as he rounded another corner, he found Gibbs leaning against a large boulder and waiting for him. The other Rangers were not in sight.

“Sorry,” Tony said as he neared the older man, “I can pick it up a little.”

“I asked Smith and Fischer to go ahead. Thought we could use a few minutes to rest.”

By ‘we’ it was clear he meant Tony. Jethro wasn’t hiding his concern very well.

“I’m okay, actually. Was just sort of enjoying the quiet,” he admitted. “It’s funny, I thought after days with no one else to talk to I’d be happy for the distraction, but my brain seems to be having a problem adjusting to being around other people.”

Gibbs nodded in understanding. “Happens to me all the time.”

Tony looked around. “I may be crazy but this place looks kind of familiar.”

Jethro was quiet for a moment as if weighing his words carefully. “Was the place I was first afraid I was going to lose you on the way up here.”

He stepped closer to Gibbs and rested a hand on his arm, their snowshoes making the move a little awkward. “But you didn’t. You got me there. You got me warm, and then look what happened.” He smiled.

Jethro leaned forward and kissed him deeply, his cold lips creating a delightful contrast with the warmth of his tongue as it flicked out to taste him again. Gibbs sighed into his mouth and sagged against him as if he had somehow needed the physical reassurance of him in this place before they could continue. All too soon he pulled reluctantly away and glanced with regret at the trail leading down the mountain.

“No going back…” Tony said, clutching at the nape of Jethro’s neck and resting his forehead against the older man’s for a minute before they turned together and left the moment behind.

* * *

 

Abby paced the bullpen in carefully measured strides. One foot in front of the other in front of the other in front of the other and turn, again and again. She ignored the worried glances from McGee and the peevish glares form Ziva as she passed in front of their desks on her 537th lap. She was aware of the eagle presence of Vance poking his head out of MTAC from time to time. At the moment he was averaging every ten minutes and twenty one seconds and he should back again in…

“Miss Sciuto,” Vance barked from on high. “Unless you intend to reimburse the agency for the cost of replacing that strip of carpet, I suggest you have a seat somewhere or find something else to occupy yourself with while you wait.”

She glared skyward with everything she was worth but Vance’s stony scowl defeated her almost immediately. Giving a final worried glance at Gibbs’ and Tony’s still-empty desks, she started for the elevator and was greeted with the melodious ‘ding’ she had been anticipating for the last hour.

Beaming, she launched herself at the elevator’s occupants, encountering the hard wall of Gibbs’ chest first and circling her arms around his neck with so much unbridled enthusiasm that her heavy boots left the ground momentarily. Her embrace of Tony was no less enthusiastic.

“You have no _idea_ how glad I am to see you. I mean, McGee was awesome, _awesome,_ Gibbs, but I haven’t slept one night thinking about what the two of you must have been going through up there. I mean, totally cut off from the world, no one to talk to but…” Just as she seemed about to release Tony, she paused abruptly and placed her nose next to his collar, inhaling deeply. She stood between the two men, eyes widening cartoonishly as she looked from one to the other in open astonishment. “You two smell like…”

“Like we need a shower. I know, Abbs,” Gibbs interrupted pointedly.

“Yeah,” Tony gave a slightly awkward laugh and thanked some higher power that Abby’s back was still to the rest of the team. “Three days without running water will do that to you.”

Abby floundered for a moment. There was no denying what her keen sense of smell was telling her and the reactions of both men only provided additional confirmation, yet it made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

“Right,” she finally managed as the three of them moved into the bullpen and she tried hard to step on her shock. “So, I hear you two have evidence for me?”

“Checked in downstairs and waiting for you. Get on it, Abbs. I am gonna nail these guys to the God damned wall.” His tone left no doubt that he meant every word.

It was already late morning but she had known work wasn’t going to be an option the moment Vance had announced that their fearless leader would be returned to them before the end noon. A supply of Caf-Pow awaited her back in the lab where she could settle down and begin unraveling the mysteries Gibbs had brought her to solve. Unfortunately, there was an even bigger mystery to solve now and one that was even more pressing to her than catching a murderer.

She looked from Gibbs to Tony and back again as the rest of the team greeted them. Pheromones didn’t lie. Her nose didn’t lie, and those two were so covered in each other’s scent that there was only one explanation. Unfortunately, her brain simply could not accept what every sense was telling her.

When Gibbs turned around and saw that she was still standing there, he moved away from the group and embraced her once more, angling his lips directly into her ear and pitching his voice for her alone.

“Get to work, Abbs. We’ll talk. I promise,” he whispered.

Still in shock, she roused herself and turned for the elevator with a sharp salute.

* * *

 

“Where are we?” Gibbs broke up the reunion of his team and Tony’s epic tale of their adventure which was only slightly embellished in certain places and very carefully edited in others.

McGee looked somewhat out of sorts for a moment. It was clear he had gotten used to taking the lead on the case and shrugging off the mantle of that responsibility obviously wasn’t easy for him. Despite that, he quickly gave both Gibbs and Tony a very thorough rundown of what had been done in their absence and handed Jethro the transcripts of his interrogations of Langstaff.

Gibbs found himself smiling with pride as he read through the first few pages. He looked over to where Tim sat nervously behind his desk. His simple nod of approval in acknowledgement of a job well done had McGee instantly beaming as he continued to search for any hits on their BOLO across several states.

Unfortunately, there was really nothing more they could do at the moment. Much as he wished he could have found a loose end to tie up that would lead them straight to their man, it was really just a waiting game at this point. Hopefully Abby could find something in the journal that would definitively link Langstaff to Estes and at least they would have something.

Estes hadn’t shown his face yet but his gut was absolutely screaming at him that their killer hadn’t vanished for good. Estes had sniper training and Gibbs knew better than anyone what kind of patience was required for that job. No, he was quite certain that this sick bastard was somewhere waiting to make his next move, waiting for his opportunity.

This case was too public for his taste now and after his and Tony’s dramatic rescue, their own faces were in the news. It wasn’t the kind of attention he wanted for either of them, particularly given the nature of the case. He glanced across the bullpen to where Ziva brushed playfully at Tony’s three day growth of beard and felt a tiny pang of jealously which he quickly pushed aside.

“DiNozzo,” he barked, perhaps a bit too harshly.

Tony looked up at him with wide eyes, cringing slightly at the severe tone. “Yeah, Je…Boss?” he fumbled, pulling back from Ziva’s touch immediately.

“Hit the showers and then check on Langstaff in holding. I’ll be down with Abby.” He turned to Tim. “McGee, you call me the minute you get even the shakiest hit on that BOLO.”

“Will do, boss. It doesn’t help that this guy could be a million miles away by now.”

“He’s not.” Gibbs slid out from behind his desk and glanced to where Tony eyed him speculatively from between the closing elevator doors.

McGee looked up in surprise. “How do you know?”

Jethro rolled his eyes at him. “Christ, Tim. I wasn’t gone THAT long was I?”

His youngest agent grinned boyishly at him. “Of course not, Boss. I’ll focus close to home.” He hesitated a moment and then added, “It’s good to have you back.”

“Good thing I came back when I did or Vance might have promoted you. You did a good job, Tim. Couldn’t have done any better if I was here.” He turned for the elevator and left a shocked McGee in his wake.

Once inside he pressed the button for the lab and leaned his head against the cool steel. Somehow he’d hoped that the transition would be smooth, that he and Tony could slide right into their old roles here and sort out the details later. He’d certainly done a piss poor job of holding up his end of that so far. Try as he would to ignore the changes in their relationship while they were on the job, it wasn’t going to be easy. He promised himself to find a way to reassure the partner he was counting on now more than ever that he was trying.

The doors slid open and he hesitated outside the door to the lab. Abby was the one person in the world who had the balls to ask him to explain himself, the only one he ever felt even the slightest need to provide an answer to.

“Gibbs, you know I know you’re there, right?” Abby’s voice drifted out into the hallway.

He walked in silently and stood next to where Abby was busily adding drops of reagent to several test tubes.

“You’re not going to be able to sneak up on me until you shower. Maybe a few times.”

She turned to look at him as she stripped off her gloves and he was surprised to see a flare of anger in her green eyes. “That obvious?” He sniffed at his shirt.

“Only if you’re me. The wood smoke covers most of it so I don’t think you have anything to worry about unless the Navy has suddenly started training sex sniffing dogs,” she assured him.

“Abbs…” he began, his voice carrying a slight note of warning which the dark haired scientist chose to ignore.

“You had _sex_ with him, Gibbs. _Lots_ of sex, by the smell of it. I can’t even begin to wrap my brain around that right now, though I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind watching.” She rounded on him. “But that isn’t the point.”

“Can we get to the point?”

“It’s _Tony_ , Gibbs. He _worships_ you. He looks _up_ to you. He _LOVES you_. How could you do this? I mean, it was three days. _Three days_ , Gibbs, and you couldn’t restrain yourself? I mean, was there something in the water? Did the thin air make you go all 'Brokeback Mountain' up there? What in the _hell_ were you thinking?” Her voice rose with each accusation until she had no further to go.

Pain exploded in his upper arm as Abby’s fist connected with muscle and bone just below his shoulder. He clenched his jaw and didn’t flinch, watching as her eyes widened in horror at what she had just done.

“Oh God, Gibbs…I’m…I didn’t mean to…” She took a step backwards and awaited his reaction.

“Yes you did. And I know you think I deserve it. Hell, maybe you’re right. But the truth is that I love him too, Abbs, and that’s something he and I have to figure out. And we will figure it out, I promise. Right now I need you to focus on this.” He gestured to the journal that Abby had removed from its sealed bag.

“So…you’re not going to fire me?” she still looked a bit uncertain.

“For trying to protect Tony? I’d be more upset if you didn’t.” He stepped toward her and she stiffened and then relaxed as he pulled her into his arms. “Just don’t _ever_ do it again,” he whispered as he placed a kiss at her temple.

Abby sniffed at his neck. “You really need to shower, Gibbs. If you keep coming in here covered in all these pheromones, _I’m_ going to jump you.”

“Think my Senior Field Agent might object to that,” he chuckled as he released her. “I’m going right now. How long until you have something for me?”

“I’m working on enhancing some of the images and running the faces of the victims through the international databases. Probably another two hours or so, depending on whether I get lucky or not.” She turned to the computer to check her progress.

“Make it an hour.” He started for the door.

“I just need to know one thing.”

 Abby’s voice stopped him and he turned back to where she was grinning at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“Is Tony a top or a bottom?” She cocked an eyebrow.

Despite his best efforts, Jethro felt heat flood his face. “Get to work, Abbs.”

“I knew it,” she said with an evil smirk as she heard the elevator doors slide closed.

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Former Marine sergeant Jonathan Estes sipped at his coffee and pulled his ball cap down slightly lower to cover his face. Soon he wouldn’t have to hide. Soon people would understand, would recognize his patriotism for what it was, would cherish his sacrifice. Then his name would top the headlines as a hero rather than the monster people were painting him as.

Estes had no regrets about his rather sudden exit from the Corps. He had enjoyed the regiment, the discipline and order of it all, but in truth, the structure had outgrown its usefulness to him some time ago and he considered his newfound freedom to be just that. Now he could cast off the restraints of laws and codes penned by those with no true understanding of what it took to maintain purity in a world of perversion and ugliness, a world that asked him to accept the presence of useless filth like Fuller and Gilmore who would betray rather that ever recognize his own greatness, his necessity, of women who were so weak that they betrayed their supposed devoutness before the first stroke of the knife was even finished, that preached tolerance and peaceful accord when the true answer was _cleansing._

The world could no longer afford to coddle the weak, could no longer afford to indulge the petty dalliances of those who contributed nothing to the greater good. It was his job to show those intelligent enough to understand the true mission of humanity how it could be done.

He’d seen a press conference a few hours ago, some agency bureaucrat who wasn’t fit to lick his boots talking about his work, his _art_ as if it was something a bug like him could ever understand. There was only a tiny part of the interview that had caught his ear, the mention of agents rescued from the mountain and retrieved evidence that would supposedly break the case open. It was then that he’d known.

They had it.

His manifesto, his gospel, was in the hands of those who would sooner destroy it, bury all evidence of his genius, rather than allow it to be raised up by those who were more worthy. They would pervert it, would twist it until its true beauty was lost to the world forever and his glorious works were forgotten.

That was something he simply could not allow to happen.

The mundane would always underestimate true genius. They had no idea what he was capable of.

* * *

 

Tony let the steaming water cascade over his head and carry the tension in his shoulders down the drain with it. As much as he wished he could will himself back up to the mountain where he had Gibbs all to himself again, he had to admit that he was enjoying a return to the creature comforts.

The unavoidable thoughts of Gibbs did nothing to ease his stress. The transition was proving just as difficult as he had imagined and his head was still spinning from the shock of it. It was so easy to fall back into old habits here for both of them and yet there was a part of him that clung to the memory of soft hands stroking his skin while he slept and a gravelly voice that didn’t bark orders, but instead whispered unimaginably filthy things against the curve of his throat.

“You plan to use up all the hot water in the building, DiNozzo?”

Tony shuddered as the voice he had been imagining suddenly sang in his ear, slightly surprised when he turned around to find an utterly naked Jethro Gibbs regarding him with a soft smile and a knowing twinkle. He marveled at how a single look from this man could immediately melt away the walls that had been going up since their return.

“Think I saved enough for you. If you feel like sharing with _me_ , that is.” It was a petty jab and he knew it, but he couldn’t stop the words from slipping off his tongue. Tony probed the bright blue eyes that raked over his wet, naked body with undisguised hunger and just a tinge of sadness.

 Jethro raised a hand and traced the line of his jaw with a calloused thumb. “We’ll figure this out, Tony. _I’ll_ figure this out. Just gonna take time.” He moved under the spray and pressed the younger man back against the wall.

Tony remembered the pain that had shot through him at the harsh tone Jethro had used in the bullpen. He knew that it was no different than the one his boss had communicated orders in almost every day for over a decade, and yet…had he really expected that relationship to change just because of the new one they had begun?

He glanced down at the tile and then slowly back up to the unwavering gaze of his lover. “I know you will,” he said gently.

 Leaning forward, he kissed Gibbs softly beneath the spray and then pulled him close, resting his back against the cool tile. Slipping his fingers up into Jethro’s hair, he pushed the now damp tendrils from his forehead and regarded him seriously. “Up there, out in the field, you’re still the boss, Gibbs, and I promise to respect that. You can’t change who you are on the job and I don’t want you to try. As long as I can have this when we’re alone,” he ran his lips over Jethro’s in a whispered touch that made them both shudder, “then I can take anything you dish out anywhere else.”

Gibbs’ hand gripped the back of his neck firmly and those blue eyes suddenly bored into him, taking on an entirely new intensity. “You ever know me to go back on something I’ve promised, Tony? Something this important?”

Jethro’s lips were a hair’s breadth away and Tony could taste his scent with every word. The passion and raw emotion in the older man’s voice had him so hard he found it difficult to focus, but he knew his answer was important. “Never, Gibbs,” he said steadily.

“And that’s not going to change now.” He grabbed Tony’s wrist as he had done just before they left the cabin and placed the younger man’s hand over his heart. “Not this,” Jethro drew Tony’s other hand to his cock which was already thick and hard, “and not this.”

Tony groaned deeply as Gibbs’ teeth descended the column of his neck, raking across his skin sharply. “Sh-should we do this here, Jethro? What if someone comes looking for us?” His protest was half-hearted but he felt he should make it anyway, before they were both completely lost.

“I locked the door,” the older man said simply, continuing his assault on his lover’s body.

Tony tried hard to hold on to the last of his good judgment, a feat that was becoming exponentially more difficult by the second. “Gibbs, I don’t have any condoms...”

Jethro did pause at that and he straightened up, looking at Tony solemnly. “I’m clean. I’d never say that unless I was absolutely certain. You know as well as I do that its part of the physical and you also know that I’ve seen your reports. You been with anyone in the last six months? The last year?”

Tony was having trouble finding words but he looked at Gibbs sincerely and shook his head emphatically, suspecting that Jethro had known the answer before he even asked. “You would have known,” he managed, not sure why he felt the need to add that.

“You’re damn right,” Gibbs growled as he claimed possession of Tony’s mouth again.

Groping blindly on the shelf to his left, Tony wrapped his fingers firmly around the slippery bar of musk scented soap and began running it slowly through the damp curls on Gibb’s chest and up over the hard muscle of his shoulders. Somehow he felt they should at least pretend to be using the shower for its intended purpose.

He was surprised when Jethro pulled back slightly and took the foamy bar from his hand. The look in Gibbs’ eyes told him he only had one thing on his mind at the moment and the intensity of that need nearly stole his breath. Without hesitating he turned to face the wall, widening his stance slightly and arching his back, presenting himself in open invitation.

Jethro’s hands were on his ass immediately, drawing slow circles around each cheek in a figure 8 pattern that decreased in size with each sweep of soap and fingertips and left a slick bubbly trail across his bottom.

Tony gasped as Gibbs suddenly slipped a hand into his crack and he felt the rounded edge of the soap teasing at his sensitive hole and sliding over his taint to graze his balls. He bit his lip and moaned his approval, trying to keep from crying out at the delightful sensation. That they were actually doing this here, in a place he thought of as an extension of his home, in a place that was dangerous, a place that was forbidden, had his cock so hard his balls ached with each delicious pulse to his groin that only threatened to swell him further. That coupled with the anticipation of feeling Jethro inside of him without a barrier between them had him rolling his hips eagerly against the fingers that stroked and teased him so knowingly, twisting against the hand that reached around and stroked his dick just the way he liked, as if Gibbs had been learning his body over years instead of mere days.

Reaching blindly for Jethro’s hip, he pulled the older man closer and twisted his neck, straining to reach his mouth. Gibbs took the hint and their lips locked awkwardly as Tony felt him take his cock in hand and slide between his cheeks, seeking the right angle.

The sensation of Jethro’s thick velvety head sliding against him uncovered was more than he was prepared for and he released a needy keening sigh into Gibb’s mouth, pushing his hips back greedily.

Grunting at the familiar burn as Jethro entered him with a slow and steady push, Tony marveled at the feeling of connection that came with the absence of a thin little tube of latex. He’d never in his life fucked or been fucked by anyone without a condom and he was surprised that the difference was so noticeable on the receiving end. He was in awe of the heightened awareness of his partner, the knowledge that it was purely Gibbs’ flesh stroking his walls, giving him pleasure.

After a few short strokes to work himself inside, Jethro stopped moving and wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist, sliding his lips close to the younger man’s ear.

“You feel so damn good. So hot and tight and soft…I can’t…” his voice broke off. “God, I wanna stay just like this,” he panted, nipping at Tony’s sensitive earlobe.

Tony smiled, touched by the sentiment and the fact that Gibbs was more talkative during sex with him than he had ever been in the course of their decade long relationship. “Might be a little awkward during our next MTAC session,” he chided.

Laughing musically, Jethro gave his ass a light smack and then moved his other hand up to tease and then pinch Tony’s nipple. “You are _so_ gonna pay for that, DiNozzo,” he rumbled playfully.

“Promises, promises, Gibbs… _oohh,”_ he moaned as Jethro circled his hips wickedly and corkscrewed right up against his prostate. Fingers twined in the hair at the base of his neck and pulled his head backwards. 

“You like that?”

An eager tongue licked a path up to the spot behind his ear that was downright dangerous. “Fuck yes,” Tony growled just as sharp teeth sank into the tender cartilage.

The arm that tightened around his waist held him in place as Gibbs’ hips began to pulse in short, lightning fast strokes that caught him by surprise, stealing his breath and making him claw at the slippery tile as every nerve in his body caught fire.

 _Where_ had _this man learned how to fuck?_

Just when he thought he was going to scream, the assault abated and Jethro’s rhythm slowed to long measured thrusts, advancing and retreating in an unhurried tempo that brought its own sweet agony.

“Think I might be getting the hang of this,” Gibbs muttered breathlessly against his ear as he began to pick up the pace again.

“Mmmm…” Tony whimpered, clenching his jaw and swallowing a cry as Jethro began to move in rolling, twisting thrusts that somehow stimulated every inch of him all at once.

He lost track of time, of place. Nothing existed in this moment but the feeling of skin against skin, heat against heat, the exquisite pleasure of hard flesh penetrating him, joining with him, loving him in soft caresses and gentle sighs.

Closing his eyes, Tony focused all of his attention on the tactile. His fingers slid over cool, slick tile while warm water pelted his shoulders and fell downward in ever moving rivulets across his back, his hips, his calves. Muscles flexed and strained, stretched and contracted again and again in concert with the sublime friction from Jethro’s body that sent the tightness centered behind his cock spiraling higher and higher until it filled every limb nearly to bursting.

 It was clear that he wasn’t the only one grasping at the edges of control. Gibbs’ fingers curled against the soft flesh of his belly and he could feel the quivering tension in the older man’s muscles as he moved steadily in and out of his body. He’d grown to the know the rhythm of his Jethro’s breathing, knew that the quiet gasps and muted groans that were growing closer together and more desperate meant Jethro was reaching his limits. Leroy Jethro Gibbs had few tells but this, most intimate of intimate revelations, was Tony’s alone to know.

“Want you to make me come.” Tony’s plea was more desperate sounding than he had intended it to be but he was well beyond the point of caring about anything but relieving the sweet pounding pressure that had taken a firm hold on the base of his spine. He rested an arm against the tile and leaned his head onto it, changing the angle of his body just enough to give Gibbs even more control.

Acknowledging Tony’s supplication with an urgent throaty moan that told him just how far gone Jethro really was, strong fingers immediately sank into the flesh of his hips, pulling at him with each stroke so that every collision of their bodies rocked him to his very core and the hard wet slap of flesh on flesh echoed off the tile. Grasping his own cock, Tony stroked in time with Jethro’s rolling thrusts, each pass bringing him closer to the brink.

Gibbs drove in hard and Tony felt his body tense and shudder, heard the half wild groan that raised the hair on the back of his neck and settled between his shoulder blades giving him the final push he needed. The hot flood of Gibbs’ release pulsed gently against his insides and he came with a trembling cry that no amount of restraint could contain, coating his belly and the wall supporting him in thick spurts of cum that were quickly washed away.

Still coming down, he whimpered when Jethro slipped gently from his body, leaving an aching void that was only slightly eased by the feeling of loving arms sliding around his waist. “Think that will hold us for awhile?” Gibbs’ voice was still slightly breathless in his ear.

“MMM…maybe for an hour or so,” Tony sighed contentedly, pressing back against the comforting solidity of his lover’s body.

“There’s a monster out there I need to find first,” Jethro said more seriously, though his grip on Tony didn’t loosen any.

“ _We_ need to find him, Jethro,” he said, spinning in Gibbs’ arms and reaching once more for the soap, “so you’d better hurry up and wash my back.”

* * *

 

Jethro’s legs were still slightly rubbery as he slid the shower curtain open and grabbed his towel off the hook in the tile just outside, tossing another back to Tony with a smile.

Movement caught his eye and he turned to find Ziva contemplating him with a flat expression from where she sat cross legged on the end of a bench, cleaning her fingernails with her knife, something he hadn’t seen her do in quite some time. Someone who didn’t know her might think that her blank expression indicated boredom, but he could read the not-quite concealed lines of anger around her eyes for what they were.

“Someday you’re going to have to tell me just where you picked up a few of those tricks, Gibbs.”

Tony’s slightly muffled voice drifted out to him from where the younger man was busily drying off in the shower stall.

“Then again, maybe I don’t really want to know.” Tony’s laugh was cut short as he emerged and followed Gibbs’ line of sight to Ziva. “I thought you said you locked the door.”

“I did,” Jethro said calmly, not breaking eye contact with the Israeli.

“I have never met a lock that I could not pick when it was necessary,” she said icily, unfolding herself and sheathing her knife slowly as if putting it away was an effort. “Now, If you two are quite finished…conjugating, McGee has sent me to give you an update.”

“Copulating,” Tony corrected her without thinking.

“Perhaps you prefer ‘fucking’?” she said contemptuously.

Gibbs could feel Tony bristle behind him and he held up a hand to stop the younger man from advancing past his shoulder. “Get dressed, Tony.”

“She’s my partner, Jethro. I can handle this,” he said quietly.

He turned to Tony and smiled gently. “I know you can. But this one’s on me, DiNozzo.” His eyes begged understanding. This had been his decision and no one was going to pay for it but him. Besides, he knew the true source of Ziva’s ire and catching him with his proverbial pants down was a very small part of a much bigger issue, an issue that was better laid to rest sooner rather than later. It was time to begin paying the piper.

To Jethro’s relief, Tony only nodded slowly and, casting a warning glance at his partner, turned to walk back into the locker room.

“We have a problem, Ziva?” he approached his most junior agent as he secured the towel around his waist.

“I do not know, Gibbs,” she said boldly, rising up to her full height, “perhaps you can tell me.”

He gazed down at her. Somehow she managed to create the illusion of growing taller than her 5 foot seven inch frame but he was not thrown. “No. We don’t.”

“Then I did not just walk in on you screwing another member of our team?”

“I don’t think you have the faintest understanding of what you just walked in on.” They were nearly chest to chest now, eyes locked in a silent battle.

“There are rules, Gibbs. _Your_ rules in fact,” she spat at him. “Or do those rules apply to everyone on the team _but_ you? First Jenny and now… _Tony_? Can you really be so casual with the affections of the people who depend on you? Who respect you? Who…” She stopped suddenly, letting the silence carry the weight of her unspoken words.

Something softened in him slightly. Much like Abby, Ziva was merely defending Tony, defending her team, and even though her methods were abrasive, he couldn’t really fault her for them. In the end, she was right.

“The rules exist for a reason, Ziva, you’re right about that.” He schooled his voice to rid it of the hard edge of a moment before. “But you’re wrong about one thing. I don’t break them casually. Not now, not ever. And I won’t be breaking them for long.”

Her eyes narrowed and then widened as the implication of his words sank in. “Then you would give it all up? Just like that? Three days on a mountain and you decide to end your career? For what?” Her voice rose again and she shook her head in utter disbelief.

“For him.” His voice was quiet but there was a weight to those two simple words that had the unmistakable air of finality, of unwavering resignation.  “There are some things in this world that are more important than bringing in every bad guy, more important than justice for all, more important than revenge. There’s always going to be another monster, Ziva, another righteous man to avenge. There’s never going to be another Tony.”

“I’m sorry Gibbs, but I do not understand this.” There was a deep note of sadness amidst her astonishment.

“No. You don’t,” he said calmly. “But I hope someday you will.”

The moment was broken by the sound of thundering hooves as Abby burst through the door in a clatter of chains and clomping platforms.

“Gibbs-Gibbs-Gibbs!” she exclaimed, stopping short when she noticed Jethro’s state of undress and the obvious tension boiling in the air between him and Ziva. Her eyes went first to the female agent whom she regarded with surprised curiosity, and then raked unapologetically over the length of his towel-clad body as her mouth curled in an openly appreciative cat-like grin. “Very nice.”

“Do the words ‘Men’s locker room’ mean nothing to you two?” he growled impatiently.

“Very little,” they said in unison, turning to each other in surprise.

“Then I assume you have an excellent reason for barging into it?”

“Well, I knew you were headed to the showers and I tried to find Tony to tell him but McGee said _he_ hadn’t come back from the showers so I figured you were in here together and I wanted to tell you what I found so logically this was the place to go.” Her brain caught up with her mouth and she turned from Ziva to Gibbs with wide eyes. “Not that I meant you and Tony were here _together_ together, only that room…separately…and…”her attempt at back peddling was taking things from bad to worse.

“Stop.” Jethro barked angrily. “Abby, Ziva knows. Ziva, Abby knows. Moving on.”

“Oh thank God. I hate keeping secrets. Was it the pheromones for you too?” Abby asked excitedly, turning away from an exasperated Gibbs as only she could.  “I thought I was the only one with a nose for that stuff. Though I’m not incredibly surprised, they must have been at it for days. ”

Ziva looked puzzled for a moment but then caught onto Abby’s train of thought. “No, it was not pheromones.” She looked up at Gibbs with a stony glare. “I was unlucky enough to catch the live show.”

Abby literally trembled with unbridled enthusiasm. “Oh my _GOD._ How hot was _that_? I mean, I’ve been imagining it all afternoon but…”

“I said Moving. On.” Jethro put an end to Abby’s lascivious speculations. “You said you had something for me and it had better be good.”

“Oh, it is. I pulled three sets of prints from the journal, Tony’s, Fuller’s, and Estes’, no big surprise there. I _also_ pulled prints off of several of the Polaroids. See, when you take a Polaroid, whoever takes the photo generally grips it, right at the bottom corner while they wait for it to develop.”

“I know how a Polaroid works, Abbs.”

“Right. Well, guess whose prints are on the corner of every photo I’ve tested so far? None other than our self-righteous Lieutenant Langstaff. I’m still working on enhancing some of the reflections in the pictures to see if I can get a positive facial identification on the photographer but this has to be more than enough to keep him locked up.” She beamed up at Gibbs.

“It is,” he nodded. “Good work, Abbs. Get me more. There’s no way I’m going to let this guy walk away from this.”

“There’s also a series of numbers on the back of each photo. I think it may have something to do with the identities of the women, or maybe a code of some sort.”

“Try prisoner ID’s. Every detainee is issued an identification number.”

“Ooohhh, you’re good, Gibbs. That’s just where I was going next.”

“Then go, Abbs.” He pointed to the door.

“Going, sir,” she said in a mock-gruff voice. “You and I will talk details later. I want to know _everything,_ ” she only half-whispered to Ziva as she turned to go.

“Hey! I’m right _here.”_ Jethro chastised.

“Well, it’s not like you’re going to come across with the juicy details, Gibbs. How else is a girl going to live vicariously?” She grinned, taking a last and very obvious look at his naked torso.

“Lab. NOW.” He turned to Ziva. “Update,” he said briskly.

“McGee has gotten several hits on the BOLO, however, no positive ID’s and no one has taken anyone into custody. With the media attention, several civilians have reported sightings that are less than credible. They are also spread out over a very wide area.”

“Make sure the local authorities are investigating every single one of them no matter how shaky the credibility. Have McGee put together a list of any sightings in the District, Maryland, or Virginia and get our people on every single one of them. I will NOT let this guy slip through our fingers.”

“So you are still convinced he is close?”

Gibbs nodded. “He’s not done.”

“I will tell McGee,” she acknowledged, inclining her head slightly as she started for the door.

“That’s all you’re going to tell McGee, Ziva.” His voice stopped her retreat. “I know you’re upset and maybe you have a right to be, but if you’ve got a problem, it’s with me, no one else. That includes DiNozzo. I will make this right but, first I need every ounce of your attention focused on bringing this guy in.”

She regarded him silently for a few moments but eventually nodded. “I will keep your secret. Right up to the point that I feel it is interfering with our jobs and our safety.”

“It won’t,” he said firmly.

“We shall see.” She held his eye for a moment longer to emphasize the fact that she was far from convinced by his reassurance and then quietly slipped out.

Jethro raked a hand through his damp hair and sighed. How had he thought he could keep control of this? In the end he supposed it had been inevitable but he’d at least thought he’d have a bit more time before the wheels came off the bus completely. Smacking his palm against the wall hard enough that the sting of it shot up his arm in racing waves, he gathered his clothes and headed to join Tony by the lockers. Oddly enough, amidst the tempestuous swirls of unfamiliar and uncomfortable emotions that were really just starting to piss him off, the one thing he _didn’t_ feel was an ounce of regret. In fact, as he paused to admire the long line of Tony’s back while he leaned over the sink to shave off his three days growth of beard, his resolve was stronger than ever. He would find a way to make this work. For both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're rereading this story, you will find that I have made some subtle changes. I've fleshed out the bad guy a bit more so that you as an audience have a clearer understanding of his motivations (I hope anyway) and I've edited a few other things. They aren't substantial but I'm hoping it makes for a smoother read overall.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N You should know right now that I never considered the T/Z question to be will they/ won't they so much as did they/ didn't they. I also never waited around for TPTB to answer that question. In most of my late series universes where Z is a factor at all, I am writing the character relationships under the assumption that, at some point, whether it was during Hiatus, in Paris, or some other time, T/Z had some angry, angsty, hate sex with a lot of hair pulling and maybe even some fucking and punching which brought some necessary tension release. Agree or disagree, you're seeing the residue of that presumption in the first part of this chap.

****

Gibbs stalked out of the elevator and into the bullpen dogged closely by Tony. He swept by Ziva’s desk without a glance and moved like an arrow toward McGee who quickly stood and blinked mutely as Jethro came to a sudden stop a few feet from his desk.

“Go,” he barked.

There was half a heartbeat of silence as Tim’s survival instincts edged out his surprise and his mouth and brain kicked into gear. Stepping out from behind the desk he quickly brought up the image he had been using only moments before which projected the BOLO hits he had received across a map of the US, Canada, and Mexico. Those hits that had been investigated and ruled out appeared in red, those still being followed up on, in green. There was still far too much green for his taste and much of it too close to home.

“Tell me about these,” he pointed to the green dots closest to the DC area.

Tim pressed a button and the image zoomed in close. “First hit is at a diner in Alexandria. A counter waitress saw the news bulletin and swears she served a man fitting Estes’ description earlier this afternoon. Called it into the local Leos.”

Gibbs nodded and turned to Tony. “DiNozzo, take Ziva and check it out. If her story holds up at all I want a door to door across the entire area. If he showed his face once, he may have shown it again. Might be holed up somewhere in the neighborhood.”

Jethro saw Tony glance at Ziva and open his mouth to protest but it was clear the younger man quickly thought better of it. He didn’t envy Tony the next few hours of what had already been a very long day, but he knew that it was necessary and he trusted that it would give both he and Ziva something they needed. Either that or he was about to have a colossal disaster on his hands.

“McGee, you’re with me on the other hit.” He stepped behind his desk and scrawled a quick note while the team gathered their gear, folding the paper in half sloppily when he was finished.

“DiNozzo,” He barked, handing the note across his desk to the younger man without looking up. He felt the paper slip through his fingers as Tony tugged it gently from his grasp.  Allowing his eyes to drift up briefly to DiNozzo’s departing back, he knew instantly that the changes he planned to make in their lives were indeed vital ones. Already he could feel the growing strength of his feelings pushing against the center of his better instincts. He wanted nothing more than to take Tony with him, to keep him by his side where he could be certain of his safety and protect him. Allowing himself to become distracted with thoughts of DiNozzo could prove deadly for him or worse yet, another member of the team, and that wasn’t a price he was willing to pay.  

* * *

 

Tony clutched the note from Gibbs in his hand and followed Ziva from the Bullpen. As soon as the doors closed on the elevator, a heavy silence seemed to fill the small space between them.

With a deep sigh, he glanced down at the few lines on the white piece of paper, lines scrawled in Jethro’s flowing script.

_Watch your back._

_Don’t miss anything._

_My place as soon as you’re through._

_Go easy on her._

_LJG_

He smiled at the first few lines. For Gibbs it was the closest thing to a love note he was likely to ever get. His eyes flicked up to Ziva as he read the last line for the third time and his brows knit together in confusion before he could completely school his features. She looked at him oddly but then resumed her pointed and icy stare at the opposite wall.

When they reached the parking garage and signed out their vehicle, he let her drive without protest, the final words on Gibbs’ note flashing across his brain at the last moment as he reached automatically to take the keys from her hands and play his senior agent trump card.

Something about the set of her jaw and the way her hands gripped the steering wheel made him hold his tongue as she sped through residential streets, ran stop signs without so much as a second glance, and dodged cars with an angry glare and a few words in Hebrew he had come to recognize over the years. Her fists clenched and unclenched around the foam pad of the wheel and he was half convinced he would have to pry her fingers from it when their hellish ride eventually came to a conclusion. Finally, taking a deep breath, he began the conversation.

“It’s not what you think, you know,” he started somewhat lamely.

“HA!” The sound burst from her lips like the angry blat of a trumpet and it was obvious that she had been holding it in in anticipation of this very moment. “Who are you to say _what_ I think it is?” she snapped.

“I just mean that it’s…it’s complicated,” he mumbled, expecting, but at the same time not completely prepared for, the acid of her tongue.

“Yes it is,” she said angrily. “I do not believe you fully understand _how_ complicated. “

“Hey, it’s not like I’m just fucking the boss. I’m in love with him, Ziva, have been for longer than I really even remember.” His voice grew distant as his mind flickered back to those first few moments in Baltimore.

His seatbelt tightened across his chest painfully as she slammed on the brakes and his palms smacked the dash.

She turned to him, eyes flashing dangerously. “Nobody knows that better than I do, Tony. Or have you forgotten?”

He hadn’t forgotten.

His eyes softened in the face of her anger and he suddenly understood why Gibbs had put up with her ire earlier, why he was asking him to do the same. “Ziva, I…”

“Oh please,” she spat, “do not patronize me, Tony. It is in the past. What happened then…” Her rage seemed to dim for a moment and her voice grew slightly distant before she was able to shake it off. “You were in love with him even then and I knew it.” She raised her head defiantly. “Still, I do not regret becoming your lover for a time, even if I _was_ only a poor substitute for him. It was…necessary.” There was no sadness in her voice, only hard resolve.

They didn’t talk about it. Ever. Those few months when Gibbs was in Mexico and they had both felt lost and taken comfort in each other as the only thing left in their lives they were certain of. It had been fast and hard and…necessary, like something they needed to get out of their systems, and it had ended before it had even begun. Ended with Gibbs return, with secrets, with Jeanne... They thought they had been so careful then and for all the years in between, so unbelievably clever in their own little games, but it was clear to him now that Gibbs had seen through the badgering and banter somewhere along the line. Hell, he’d probably known all along.

“Ziva, you were never a substitute,” he said sincerely, “never.” He reached for her hand against his better judgment but she pulled it back and turned to stare out the window in front of her. He couldn’t completely read her face but it was clear that she felt the truth of those words as the lines around her mouth and eyes softened ever so slightly.

“It would be easier if you were just fucking.” Her voice was still hard but lacked the sharp edge it had carried a moment before. “ _That_ you both might be able to handle. But this? Tony, you do realize that he intends to leave NCIS? For you?”

The thought hit him like the kickback from a rifle, dead in the center of his chest.

Jethro had said there would have to be changes. Somehow his brain had sort of glossed over the reality of what that might entail. How had he not understood the true meaning of that one simple word?

“I’m sure he wouldn’t…there has to be another way.” He scrambled to think of one but he came up empty.

“He would and there is not,” she said flatly. “You have both compromised this team. _My_ team. Tell me why I should not be angry with you both, why I should be so quick to forgive, to understand?”

His heart sank. “I’m sure he knows what he’s doing,” he said with more conviction than he felt.

She didn’t say anything, only looked at him with a surprisingly sad expression and put the car into gear, almost immediately resuming her previous driving strategy, though he thought he noticed slightly less swearing.

* * *

 

 

“What can you tell me about the man you served earlier, Miss...?”

“Oh, it’s just Melissa. Though, most of my regulars call me Mellie.” The waitress was a young pretty blond with sharp blue eyes that seemed to penetrate well beyond the surface as they moved slowly between Tony and Ziva.

“Okay, Mellie, just tell us whatever you can remember,” Tony urged.

“Well, I’ve already told everything to the police.”

 “We’d like you to tell us,” he pressed gently. Under different circumstances he might have flashed a toothy grin and shot her a wink, but he figured any sport flirting might earn him a swift kick from Ziva in her current mood.

“I noticed right away that he was a Marine. My daddy was a Marine,” she said by way of explanation, “and well, when you live with one, you just know one when you see one.”

Tony nodded in understanding and his mind went immediately to Jethro’s squared shoulders, straight back, and bare bones communication style. “Anything else you noticed?”

“He didn’t want me to look too closely at his face.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He kept his hat on,” she supplied.

“Maybe he’d just gotten a bad haircut,” Tony prodded.

“You’re NCIS, right? So you know Marines. Marines take their hats off when they sit down to chow, Agent DiNozzo,” she said in the patient tone of one explaining the obvious to a child who should know better. “Always.”

She did have a point.

“Well, I thought it was a bit odd at the time, but we were swamped right through the dinner rush so I didn’t see the news until later, and that’s when I recognized him.”

Tony studied her face and glanced at Ziva who nodded sharply at him. There was no doubt that, whether she had actually served Estes or not, she firmly believed that she had. He laid out a photograph of their prime suspect on the countertop. “What made you so certain that this was the man you saw earlier?”

“His eyes.” She shuddered. “I’ve never seen eyes so cold. Sent a chill right through me even though it felt like 100 degrees in here. Also, the scar.” She pointed to a small and nearly unnoticeable faint white line to the side of Estes’ mouth.

“You noticed that even with his hat on and 50 other customers in the place?” _He_ hadn’t even noticed it until she had pointed it out.

She shrugged. “My daddy always said I had a gift for faces and a mind like a steel trap. If I run into you on the street I can tell you what you had for breakfast three weeks ago and how many sugars you take in your coffee if I served it to you.”

Tony made a mental note to haul Gibbs down here for coffee when this was all over. It was a shame to waste a mind like this girl’s in a two bit diner.

“Did he say anything to you? Maybe give you an idea if he was staying in the area?” Ziva piped up.

“No, ma’am. Didn’t say two words except to order and ask for more coffee. Just stared up at the TV the whole time and kept scribbling on his napkin.” She reached into the pocket of her apron. “I tucked it away when he left. Can’t really tell you what made me keep it because it didn’t make any sense to me.”

As she handed the folded piece of tissue to Tony, his eyes widened and his stomach hardened until the bitter taste of bile rose in his throat. One word was scrawled over and over across the length of the napkin:

 _Gibbs_.

* * *

 

Jethro flipped his phone shut and stuffed it in his pocket. Tony’s call had sent a chill down his spine and made his shoulders itch as if Estes was behind him, watching even now. It had also pissed him the fuck off.

He and Tim were on their way back to NCIS. Unfortunately, their witness had turned out to be less than reliable and had delivered a story that seemed to grow bigger and more full of holes by the minute. He was ready to howl in frustration at the time they had lost when it was obvious Tony and Ziva were onto the real trail. At least one thing seemed certain, his gut hadn’t been wrong.

Gibbs didn’t like Tony being out there without him. He’d made him promise that he and Ziva would stay together even though it would make canvasing the area slow work. He also made them promise to check in every hour and, as much as he hated it, to call off the canvas as soon as it got dark. There was a psychopathic Marine with some damn good sniper skills out there on the loose and the media had painted a big target right in the middle of their foreheads. Unfortunately that left them less than an hour to come up with something before the trail likely got cold, and he didn’t like the odds.

As they rounded the corner to the main gates, several armed Marines blocked their progress. Gibbs flashed his badge and craned his neck to see what was going on ahead of them. A man was cuffed and on the ground in front of the guard station.

The Marine stood aside and Jethro stepped out of the car followed closely by McGee. Gibbs loosened his gun in its holster as a precaution but as he walked directly into the melee he assessed that the situation was well in hand. Identifying one of the regular gate guards he was sure would recognize him, he moved around the fray until he caught the man’s eye.

“What’s going on here, Sargent?”

“Special Agent Gibbs,” he looked almost surprised to see them. “You have excellent timing, Sir. This man was actually here to see you.”

Jethro cocked his head to the guy on the pavement who looked wholly unfamiliar. “That true?”

“Listen,” the man said breathlessly, “I was in a bar, minding my own business and this guy said he’d pay me $500 to bring this letter here and drop it off for a Special Agent Gibbs. That’s all. Sounded like easy money to me so here I am. Since when is it a felony to drop off a letter?”

“Depends on who the letter’s from and what’s in it.” Gibbs turned back to the Marine. “Where’s the letter?”

“We had him place it on the ground, sir. No one’s touched it.”

Jethro nodded. “McGee, bag the letter. Get it to Abby. Tell her I want it scanned and opened in isolation. I want full precautions with this thing, got it?”

Tim swallowed and pulled on a pair of gloves. He picked up the white rectangle as if it were a ticking time bomb and placed it in a baggy, checking the seal carefully when he was done. Nine years later and they were all still more than a little leery every time they opened an envelope. “You think it’s from him, boss?”

“Might be, might not be, but no one’s taking any chances until this asshole’s behind bars.” Gibbs ordered the guards to escort their would-be postman to a holding cell until he could get him into a room for questioning. The man’s eyes were wide as saucers while he was lifted to his feet placed in the back of a car. Based on the smell of stale liquor rolling off the guy from over two feet away, Jethro had no doubt that he was telling the truth about the bar. Still, if the letter was from Estes he hoped to wring a few details about their suspect out of him before he sent him on his way. The threat of an aiding and abetting charge would likely net him all the information he wanted with little effort given the look on the man’s face.

* * *

 

A half hour later he hovered over Abby as she gingerly removed a sheet of paper from the envelope dropped at the gate. A scan had shown nothing overtly suspicious but Gibbs was uncomfortable with anything other than an inch of explosive resistant glass and a vacuum chamber between it and any member of his team.

His shoulders began to relax as Abby unfolded the letter within the chamber and it appeared to contain nothing out of the ordinary.

“I’ll test the paper before I touch it, Gibbs, but it looks like this guy really just wanted to send you a message,” Abby said as she began to scan the neatly printed lines of script, “a really, really creepy message.” She shuddered involuntarily and glanced up at the windows as if feeling someone watching her.

“You plan on letting me read that sometime today, Abbs?” He asked as her eyes moved back to the page.

“Patience, oh great one. I’m comparing it to Estes’ hand writing.”

“How?” he asked, regretting the word as it left his mouth.

“I’ve been studying that diary for hours now. It leaves a mark in here.” She pointed to the side of her head. “This is definitely the work of the same hand.”

“Not to mention that he signed it at the bottom?” Jethro pointed to the end of the letter where it was signed in an equally elegant font.

“Anyone can sign someone else’s name, Gibbs. I can do your signature almost as well as my own.” She stood up and looked at Gibbs with wide eyes, realizing what she’d just said. “Not that I’d use it for anything. Well, anything you wouldn’t approve of, anyway.” She smiled in that brilliant mix of devious innocence that only Abby could pull off.

He would put a pin in that one for another day, but right now there were more important things on his mind. Jethro glanced down at the paper beneath the glass again and then looked at Abby pointedly.

“And…you probably want to read this? Okay, but just promise me you won’t go all…Gibbs about it, alright?” She blocked his view with her body until the ice of his stare melted her resolve. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He moved forward as she pivoted aside, stepping with the usual awkward grace that was as much a contradiction as the woman herself. Quickly retrieving his glasses from his pocket, he focused on the words beneath the layer of glass.

_I believe you have something that belongs to me, Agent Gibbs._

_Before I take it back from you, I’m curious about how it made you feel. You see, I’ve made a few calls about you and I find myself in a bit of a quandary. I’d considered taking something of equal value from you in trade but I thought first that I might give you a chance to come to me on your own. Perhaps a man with your…background, shall we say,  might, like so many others, have a certain appreciation for the work I’m doing, might understand its value, its_ necessity. _We can always go about this the old fashioned way, but you see, I’d prefer to let you be. Men like you serve a valuable purpose, Agent Gibbs, but if you force my hand I will take back what is mine by any means necessary._

_I would have liked to deliver this to you in person but under the current circumstances, I hope you’ll forgive me sending a currier. Rest assured, you will hear from me again soon._

Jethro wanted to crumple the paper and throw it against the wall but he settled for slamming his fist into the unforgiving case which remained intact and immovable.

“I want everything you can get me from this and I want it ten minutes ago, Abby. Get me something, anything I can use.” He could hear the desperation coming through in his own voice and knew that she was likely picking up on it too. He didn’t deal well with threats, didn’t deal well when assholes like Estes decided to make it personal and most definitely he didn’t like the feeling of suddenly having something to lose.

“I do have something for you on the women in the diary but I’m not sure you want to hear it in your current mood.”

“And what mood is that, exactly?” he moved a step closer as she turned to her computer.

“The one where if I don’t tell you everything I found out right this minute you’re going to fire me?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Then what are you waiting for?” he growled.

“Right. Well, I took your suggestion and checked the numbers in the journal against prisoner numbers from where Langstaff’s unit was stationed in Afghanistan. Unfortunately the system doesn’t give me pictures, only names, so I wasn’t able to get a positive facial ID from any of the photos.” She pulled up a log that highlighted the relevant numbers and prisoner names.

“Which ones are still in custody?” He stared at the screen over her shoulder.

“None of them.” Her voice had an odd edge he didn’t immediately recognize.

“You mean every single one of them was released?” He asked incredulously.

“No, Gibbs. They’re all dead.”

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

“What do you mean they’re all dead?” Gibbs asked, anger beginning to boil over.

“Just what I said.” She pressed a button and 5 names and numbers jumped out at him. “These five women all died while in holding. Four of them were listed as having committed suicide, the other is listed as dying of natural causes, but I can’t find a more specific cause of death anywhere for any of them.” The display faded and four other names popped out on the screen. “The records list these four women as being transferred to other detainment facilities, but every one of them was reported dead within a month. Again, each one of them listed as a suicide with no elaboration.”

“You’re telling me we had 9 prisoner deaths within…” he looked at the screen to confirm the dates, “six months of each other and there was no investigation?”

“I can’t find a record of anything through official channels.”

“What about the unofficial ones?”

“I haven’t had a chance to check yet but when McGee tried to look into Fuller and Gilmore’s story that they had reported all of this to Langstaff he came up completely empty. I don’t think this is something anyone was supposed to find out about, Gibbs.” Her voice was hushed as if someone might be listening in on their conversation at that very moment.

“Well somebody did, and now those somebodies are both dead. I want everything you can get on these women _and_ that letter. Use McGee if you have to. See if Ducky can get a closer look at the medical examiners’ reports.” He turned for the elevator and nearly smacked into Tim who was hurrying into the lab.

“Was just coming to find you, boss. It seems our delivery man met Estes in a bar in Alexandria less than a mile from the restaurant where Tony and Ziva interviewed their witness,” McGee said confidently, still riding the high from his earlier successes in interrogation.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Gibbs prompted.

“I’ve already called Tony and given him the info, but…” he hesitated.

“But what?” Jethro growled.

“It’s just…this guy knew his letter wouldn’t make it past the front gate. He knew you would find out where it originated and that we’d send our people out. He’s way too smart to sit there and wait for us to come get him, so either he’s gone under again or he’s just leading us around by the nose so he knows exactly where we’ll be.”

Jethro blinked despite himself, the only outward sign he allowed himself to give that Tim had nearly bowled him over with his assessment of their current situation. The boy really had grown. “Bring them back,” he said reluctantly, grabbing a piece of paper from the office printer and stalking out of the lab, leaving a grinning McGee in his wake.

 

* * *

 

Gibbs slammed a copy of Estes’ letter onto the center of Vance’s desk. “I want overnight details on every one of my team until we get this guy.”

Vance crossed his fingers together and scanned Jethro’s face, not even bothering to look at the piece of paper in front of him. “Done,” he pronounced flatly, removing the gnawed stick of wood from between his teeth. “Now, you want to tell me what in the hell is going on? In five years I’ve never heard you _willingly_ ask for a protective detail, so what’s changed?”

“Damnit, Leon, I told you I didn’t want you to put us out in front of the public on this and now I’ve got a killer sending me love notes. Right to our front door, no less.” His shoulders sagged in grim resolve. “I can take care of myself but I can’t watch their backs 24/7.” Gibbs ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Vance simply nodded and picked up the phone. “I need 7 protective details assembled for Agent Gibbs’ team.”

“Six,” Jethro interrupted.

Leon covered the receiver. “If the team gets one, you get one too. No arguments.”

Gibbs ground his teeth in irritation. Vance was forcing his hand and he wasn’t sure it was the right time. Of course it was unlikely there would ever truly be a right time to tell his boss he was fucking the senior agent on his team. “I’ll take the detail…but DiNozzo’s with me.”

Vance blinked in surprise but Jethro’s tone told him there was no use arguing the point at this moment. “Make that six teams. I’ll call back with specifics in an hour.” He laid the receiver down in its cradle and sat back in his chair, contemplating the stony set of Gibbs’ jaw as he turned for the door. “What exactly _did_ happen up on that mountain, Jethro?” he asked softly.

Vance’s gentle use of the familiar made him turn and he was somewhat surprised when he saw nothing but genuine concern on his friend’s face. “We’ll talk about it when this is over.”

“Do I need to be worried as a friend? Or as the Director of NCIS?”

He looked at Vance steadily. “Not yet,” he assured him. “I said we’ll talk, Leon. That’s all I can give you right now.” Gibbs’ manner begged him not to push the issue.

“I’ll hold you to that, Jethro. Don’t think I won’t.” Leon’s tone and his body language were relaxed but Gibbs could tell his brain was already turning over the information he had gleaned from his cryptic responses and more importantly, what he hadn’t said. Leon Vance was one who didn’t need long to put the pieces of a puzzle together.

* * *

 

The door swung shut behind Gibbs and Vance leaned back in his chair, letting out the curse of disbelief he had been holding back. Slowly, a bemused grin spread across his face and he found himself smiling from ear to ear before he even understood why. He should be outraged at the conclusions he had just jumped to so easily, should be rejecting them outright as absolutely impossible and preposterous. And yet, something deep inside told him they made more sense than most of the crazy things in this world.

“’ll be damned,” he said with a soft laugh as he shook his head in disbelief and finally turned to read the letter Gibbs had placed in front of him.

* * *

 

Tony was tired. Not the kind of tired that came with a few nights of insomnia over a long case, but that pure, bone-deep kind of tired that made every step from the parking garage to the elevator feel like he was making the journey with lead weights tied to his ankles.

He shouldn’t be surprised. He wasn’t 35 anymore and in less than a week he’d nearly died on a mountain in a blizzard, hiked more miles than he’d walked in the last year, spent several nights sleeping on a cold hard floor and one in the Ranger’s quarters on a single mattress that barely fit the definition of the word.  He’d hit the ground running to get back to DC after only a few hours of sleep and spent the afternoon and evening chasing after a ghost who could be waiting around any corner, lurking in any dark alley, or hiding in any window of any building to blow his brains out.

And then there was all the fucking.

He felt his cheeks flush at the thought of the activities that had created the delicious soreness his other, less used muscle groups. Yes, to say he was tired was a drastic understatement.

“What are you smiling at? Are _you_ going to be the one to tell Gibbs we were not able to get anything useful?”

Ziva’s bark brought him back to reality. They hadn’t spoken much on the ride home but her open hostility and half-wounded-half-accusatory glares had dissipated to a general dull irritation with his every word and gesture. In other words, things almost felt normal between them for the moment. “Sorry, just thinking about other…things.” He cleared his throat and immediately became very interested in his note pad.

“Ugh! I know that smile. You were thinking about sex. With Gibbs.” She rolled her eyes in disgust.

He jumped off the wall and looked around as if someone might be listening. “Hey. Did we not agree that you would not use the words “sex” and “Gibbs” in the same sentence while we are in this building or… _anywhere_?” he whispered harshly.

“Somehow I don’t think they can hear me in here, Tony,” she nearly shouted.

As if on cue, the doors opened and Palmer, Ducky and Abby clamored in and filled the prickling space between them.

“Well, hello my dear boy,” Ducky greeted him warmly. “Actually Ziva, I don’t know what it was we are not supposed to hear but you might be surprised at just how well sound carries down these old shafts.” He winked at her. “Yes, I’ve had more than my fair share of surprises while waiting for the lift.”

Tony didn’t want to think too hard about that and thankfully he didn’t have time as the doors slid closed again and Abby launched into an explanation of the physics of sound waves that brought them to the bullpen area without any further awkward moments.

His eyes immediately sought Gibbs as the doors opened and he was so focused on the back of that steel grey head he almost ran into Abby who had stopped directly in front of him with no warning. Looking around, he quickly saw what had caused her to pause. Indeed, the rest of the recent elevator occupants were also looking at the six pairs of agents who were stationed at various points around the bullpen.

Jethro stood and their eyes locked for a fraction of a second. That was all it took for Tony to read the relief etched plainly across the smooth lines of the face he loved. His stomach did a crazy flip flop thing he was wholly unfamiliar with and he felt warmth flood through him as the barest hint of a smile lit his lover’s eyes.

The moment was over quickly as Gibbs took in the whole group and began barking out orders. “Abby, you’re with them.” Jethro pointed to two agents he’d met on a few occasions and who were now standing in the small space between his an McGee’s desks. “Ducky, Palmer, meet your new best friends for the next twelve hours.” He pointed to two more sets of agents.

Abby continued to remain stone still in front of him and he nudged her gently and whispered, “I’m sure he’ll explain. Better go with it.”

There were grumbling objections as each member of the team met their detail and grudgingly stood beside them. McGee alone was silent behind his desk and Tony assumed he’d already been read the riot act during their absence. Finally, Gibbs nodded at him and gestured toward a pair that was stationed not by Tony’s own desk, but next to Jethro’s.

Years of experience had taught him that asking questions at a moment like this was not the best idea in the world and yet he had to purse his lips together tightly to keep them from rolling off his tongue.

“Earlier today, our suspect delivered a letter to our front door. I believe the contents of this letter pose a credible threat to the safety of each member of this team and I have asked the director to assign you a protective detail during your off hours until we find the bastard and lock him up. You. Will. Let. Them. Protect. You. Do you understand?” he growled.

 Tony followed his eyes as around the bullpen as he glanced at each face in turn. Ziva wore a hefty pout but voiced no argument. Abby’s eyes were wide with shock and fear and pinned to McGee who looked as stone faced as Tony had ever seen him.  Ducky seemed resigned to the situation while Palmer appeared on the verge of a panic attack. For his part, Tony just had questions.

“Where’s your detail, boss?” The words launched off his lips before he could reel them back in.

Gibbs turned to him and leveled a glare that almost knocked him backwards. “You’re standing next to them, DiNozzo. Any other questions?”

“I thought you said this was my…” The light came on suddenly. He would have smacked his own head if it wouldn’t have made things even more awkward. “Right…shutting up now, boss.” Oddly, Gibbs looked more amused than angry at his slip.

“Tony is the second most visible member of the team on this one so he’s with me. That doesn’t mean Estes won’t try to use any one of you to get what he wants, and I will _not_ allow that to happen.” He looked steadily around the lop-sided circle for emphasis.  “Go home. Nowhere else. Anything out of the ordinary, and I mean _anything_ and I want to hear about it immediately, got it?” Eighteen heads bobbed in unison.

Gibbs turned his back, signifying that the audience was over and Abby, Ducky, and Palmer proceeded to the elevators with their teams to gather their things.

Tony started for his desk and found that McGee’s eyes we still glued to Abby’s departing back. Suddenly he understood the source of Tim’s stony stare and felt a pang of sympathy. No one knew better than he did how it felt to be denied the opportunity to protect the person you loved when it really counted.

He laid a hand affectionately on McGee’s shoulder, startling him out of his trance. “She’ll be fine, McBodyguard,” he said gently.

“I know,” Tim said defensively, shrugging off Tony’s hand and beginning to gather his things. Suddenly he turned to his partner with narrowed eyes. “Okay, what the hell is going on?”

“What?” Tony sensed trouble. For all his naiveté, McGee could be downright insightful when the moment called for it.

“You were just nice to me. _Really_ nice. So spill,” he demanded.

“Can’t I be nice to my partner? I nearly died out there in the wilderness, Timmy. It makes a man think.” He hoped McGee would accept his lame explanation and let it go.

“You’re only nice to me when I’m in trouble. _Or_ when you’ve had sex.” His eyes widened. “Oh _tell_ me you and Ziva didn’t…Tony, none of us want to go through _that_ again.”

Tony looked up at the 8 sets of eyes that had suddenly turned to them and laughed awkwardly. “He’s such a kidder, this one. He didn’t mean…I mean, of course we never…Oh, Tim…Timmy…Tim Tim Tim. We’ve got to work on that sense of humor.” He tousled McGee’s hair uneasily, turning to Ziva as she rolled her eyes and hoisted her pack onto her shoulder with a flip of her pony tail.

“Hey, keep your voice down, McGossipGirl,” he whispered harshly, stepping close to Tim. “I did _not_ have sex with Ziva.”

“Then who?” Tim asked, only slightly more quietly, obviously undeterred. “Was it that ranger who kept drooling on you like an idiot? I totally caught him checking out your ass.” He grinned.

“No,” Tony said vehemently, unable to keep his eyes from darting over to Gibbs who appeared focused on something on his desk but was most likely listening to see how he was going to talk his way around this one.

“Ohhh… I _see_ ,” McGee said conspiratorially, raising an eyebrow and finally dropping his volume.

“You do?” He tried to keep the panic out of his voice.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t want Gibbs to find out either if I were you. Maybe you should keep being nice to me so I won’t be forced to tell him.”

The evil grin that spread across Tim’s face threw him a little but in the end he decided it was better to have McGee holding this imagined secret over his head than digging further for the truth. “When did you become such a devious  little Probie?” he cast over his shoulder as he shut down his computer and grabbed his backpack.

“Learned from the Master, Dinozzo. Learned from the Master.” Tim clapped him on the shoulder a little harder than necessary.

McGee’s newfound confidence was something he was going to have to pull the legs out from under on a few upcoming occasions but in the meantime, he felt just the slightest stirrings of pride. Instead of showing it, however, he put on his best fake pout until Tim and his detail had safely boarded the elevators and headed out.

Tony casually strolled over and leaned his hip on Jethro’s desk. Gibbs paid him no attention and continued to wrap up the report he was working on. “So, alone at last,” he said huskily.

“’Cept for Barry and Edwards, of course.” He continued writing.

Glancing back at the two agents assigned to them for the evening, Tony smiled and waved awkwardly. Despite their size, the two men blended into the background just like they were supposed to and he had almost forgotten they were there. “Right.”

“Mind getting your ass off my desk, DiNozzo?”

On the surface Gibbs’ voice was as harsh as usual but Tony detected the same gentle amusement from earlier. Despite this, he nearly bounced off the desktop in his haste to comply. “I’ll just…I’ll just wait over here then?” He gestured over his shoulder in the direction of his desk.

“No need.” Jethro dropped his pen and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes against the strain. “I’m finished.” He quickly threw some files in a drawer, retrieved his badge and gun, and tossed his own bag onto his shoulder.

As they reached the elevators, he followed Gibbs inside and was surprised when Jethro held up his hands when Edwards and Barry tried to follow them. “We’ll meet you at the car,” he said, in a tone that left no room for argument.

The two agents simply nodded respectfully and stepped back. Their duties didn’t officially begin until their charges had left the building so they were content to allow them some space.

The doors slid closed smoothly and they began their descent. Tony held his breath and counted, reaching three before Jethro’s fist flew out and slammed the stop button. The air left his lungs as he was thrown hard against the wall too his left. Warm, soft lips crawled hotly over his chin and cheek, seeking his mouth as he turned into Gibbs’ overly eager embrace.

Hard muscle pinned him to the wall and his cock swelled uncomfortably in his jeans. Gibbs was in the mood to take what he wanted and he was of no mind to stop him. Jethro’s fingers seized in his hair, tangled in his buttons, dipped between his legs to cup his balls and scraped across the taught denim to his zipper where they hovered tantalizingly.

“Missed you,” Gibbs growled against his mouth, sending heat stabbing sharp and tight below his belly and forcing out a deep moan of need that echoed loudly off the steel walls around them.

The tongue between his lips continued to move, to taste him, to tease him, while sure hands untucked his shirt from his jeans. _Jesus, was Jethro really going to fuck him right here in the elevator?_ Not that he hadn’t imagined it a thousand times, but the move seemed so unlike Gibbs that Tony found it hard to believe it was actually happening.

As if his mere thought had caused the fantasy to dissipate, Gibbs slowly pulled back and Tony was left panting and disheveled against the elevator wall.

“What was that all about?” he asked breathlessly, running a hand through his hair as Jethro reached for the panel and the car started its slow descent.

“You have to ask?” Gibbs grunted, adjusting himself slightly with a wince.

Tony grinned, both amused and infinitely pleased that a few hours of his absence could have such a profound effect. “Hope that was just an appetizer.”

The ping of the elevator stopping on another floor startled him and he had just enough time to make sure his shirt tails were covering the rather prominent bulge in his jeans before the doors slid open to reveal a rather amused looking Ducky who must have been waiting some time for the car to arrive.

Amusement turned to surprise as he took in the elevator’s occupants and he shot them both a rather perplexed and speculative glance.

“Sorry about the wait, Duck,” Gibbs apologized.

“Oh, no need, Jethro. Waiting gives one time to reflect on the little surprises life throws at us every day.” He took them both in with a gleam in his eye. “Yes, as I told Agent DiNozzo only a short while ago, I’ve had quite a few…revelations while waiting for this old bucket. Indeed, some _very_ unexpected revelations.”

They were saved by the bell as the doors opened again on the parking garage level and two sets of patiently waiting agents greeted them and escorted them to their vehicles after some brief farewells.

“So I guess it’s safe to say that Ducky knows too?” Tony said quietly as they climbed in Jethro’s car.

“Yup.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?” He asked cautiously.

“Nope,” Gibbs replied in his usual stoic manner.

Tony just blinked at him in the dim light from the dash, absolutely overcome with admiration and respect for this man who was so clearly and unexpectedly willing to put him above everything else in his life. “I love you.” At first he wasn’t sure he’d said the words out loud or if they were just ringing so loud inside his head that it only sounded that way, but Jethro’s ear to ear grin was all the answer he needed.

They drove home in relative silence and Tony felt the exhaustion from earlier catching back up with him again. Leaning his head against the soft leather seat, he let his mind wander blissfully to the hum of the tires on the road and the almost inaudible sound of a blues guitar drifting from the radio.

Suddenly Tony felt a hand on his shoulder shaking him gently and he opened his eyes to find that Gibbs had opened his car door and they were stopped in the back driveway of his house. He stretched and yawned and slowly pulled himself out of the car. Tony was still tired but he felt slightly refreshed. Enough so that he was already thinking about how good it would feel to have Jethro fuck him on a real mattress.

He noticed the NCIS sedan parked at the end of the driveway and had started for the door when he saw that the house was lit up like a Christmas tree from roof to basement.

“They’re just doing a quick sweep. Would have gone in with them but I told ‘em I’d keep an eye on sleeping beauty.” He reached up and swept his thumb across Tony’s cheek, pulling him in for a swift kiss.

“Don’t get carried away, now. Ducky, Abby and Ziva are one thing but I’m not sure I’m ready to share our sex life with the rest of NCIS just yet,” Tony admonished playfully.

As if on cue, Barry and Edwards emerged from the house and holstered their weapons. “All clear agent Gibbs. Locked everything up on our way through. We’ll do a quick sweep of the neighborhood and we’ll be on the walkie if you need anything. I know I don’t have to tell you the drill. We need you and Agent DiNozzo to stay together unless we call in another team.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem gentleman.” Gibbs clapped Edwards on the shoulder and started for the house. At the last moment he turned back. “Keep your eyes open on this one. This is one sick son of a bitch we’re dealing with and I’ve got a bad feeling in my gut.”

The two nodded in understanding and began poking in the bushes toward the front of the house. Gibbs’ gut was legendary throughout NCIS and they didn’t need a more stern warning.

Jethro quickly ushered him inside and Tony got a moment to breathe in the familiar scent of Gibbs’s home and the sweet sawdust smell that wafted up from the basement before his back was up against the wall and Jethro’s hands were dipping into the waist of his jeans.

“Where were we?”

* * *

 

Jonathan Estes spit out the bitter bile that had risen in his throat at the sight the two men in the driveway across the street from the house he had chosen to occupy for the evening. The ozone smell of blood tickled his nostrils and he looked over to the tangled pile of flesh that was all that remained of one of the home’s former inhabitants.

The incessant whimpering sound coming from the bathroom in the hall was beginning to wear thin and he suspected he was going to have to do something about it very soon.

At the moment, his disappointment in Gibbs was overwhelming. He had hoped to spare the aging agent, to bring him around to his point of view, but it was clear he was merely the same type of filth he was trying to cleanse the world of. The same impure refuse as Gilmore and Fuller, as all those disgusting Arab whores, only somehow masquerading as a hero, as a man of substance.

Dealing with Gibbs would require only a very slight change in his plan and now that he had acquired a strategic base of operations, he had a short window in which to wait and plot before he was disturbed.

Yes, they would pay for discrediting him, for having the audacity to doubt the purity of his motivations. They would pay, but Gibbs would pay doubly _._


	12. Chapter 12

****

_Where were we?_

Jethro didn’t know where the desire, let alone the energy to back it up were coming from. All he knew was that from the moment Tony had stepped off of that elevator, whole and breathing and looking at him with relief equal to his own, he’d had to force himself to focus on thinking of anything but the moment when the only things between them were the whispered pleas of heated desire and the slick sweat of their bodies.  

There were changes in him already. He could feel them as surely as he could feel the ache in his right knee or the twinge in his left shoulder when it was cold and damp. There was a part of him that was just more _aware_ of Tony whether he was in the room or not. When he had come close and sat on the edge of his desk earlier, Jethro had been able to feel the heat of him from a foot away and it took everything he had not to pull him across the desk and kiss the self-satisfied smirk off his face, NCIS and the rest of the world be damned.

Now they were alone and there was no need for restraint or hesitation, no need for secrets, and certainly no need to be gentle. As the sound of buttons skittering across the hardwood floor reached his ears through the haze of his need and the harsh rasp of his breathing, Gibbs focused all his attention and need on Tony.

“Upstairs,” he growled as his teeth sank into the tender flesh of his lover’s earlobe, “before I fuck you right here.”

“Don’t think that would be the worst thing that could happen,” Tony murmured, sliding his hands over Gibbs’ ass and grinding his cock into the older man’s hip.

“Clean sheets.” He teased at the underside of DiNozzo’s ear with his tongue.

“Mmm…now you’re talking.” Tony’s fingers slid into the waistband of Jethro’s jeans.

“Down comforter.” His lips skimmed across the stubble of Tony’s jaw.

“Don’t tease me, Jethro. You’ve probably got a box spring set up on a couple of milk crates.” He bit back a whimper as Gibbs’ fingers dipped into his open-and now buttonless-shirt and began torturing the erect flesh of his nipple, calloused thumb worrying the engorged nub into a hard peak.

“Pillow-top mattress,” Jethro rumbled as his open mouth traveled the line of Tony’s clavicle.

“Mmmm...” His nails clawed lightly at the smooth skin of Gibbs’ bottom. “You’re trying to make me come right here aren’t you?”

“I’d prefer you wait until we’re upstairs,” he peppered Tony’s throat with kisses, working his way back up and letting his mouth hover mere millimeters from his lover’s parted lips, “and my cock’s buried deep inside you,” he whispered hungrily.

Tony’s entire body quivered against him as he allowed their lips to meet in the barest whisper before pulling back suddenly and heading for the stairs, leaving the younger man slack-jawed in his wake. “Well? You just gonna stand there all day, DiNozzo?” Gibbs called over his shoulder.

“Right behind you.”

The ravenous rasp of that voice was closer than he had expected. Long arms circled his waist and he was pulled back against Tony’s solid frame just as he reached the foot of the stairs. Having a hard cock rammed into the crevice of his ass through his jeans was an entirely new experience but he was both pleased and surprised to discover it wasn’t a wholly unpleasant one as long as it was Tony doing the ramming.

“Hmm…Maybe next time.” He arched his back slightly, reaching around to grab DiNozzo’s hip as he moved slowly up and down against the thick shaft.

Tony’s fist tightened in the fabric of his t-shirt as he grunted in approval. “You’re just teasing me again,” he admonished, thrusting lightly against Gibbs’ backside.

“Guess we’ll find out,” Jethro said, without a trace of flippancy. “Not makin’ any promises.”

“Fuck,” Tony moaned, moving his hand around to trace the outline of Gibbs’ cock.

“Exactly. Now get your ass upstairs.”

The journey to the second floor seemed to take forever and bits and pieces of clothing littered their wake, marking their slow progress. Tony’s shirt hadn’t made it past the first riser and Jethro’s jeans clung to the handrail midway up. Those items that somehow survived their hurried passions were discarded haphazardly on the way to a bedroom Tony, and few others, had ever seen before. Jethro decided there would be time for the tour of the seldom used upper level of his home later.

Much, much later.

Right now, Tony was on his back and Jethro was making a feast of the soft skin of his belly and thighs, circling ever closer to the thick cock that twitched with each fluttering contraction of muscle. Tony’s breathing was ragged and his fingers clutched and pulled at the sheets beneath him. The younger man hummed and keened each time Jethro’s lips, teeth or tongue made contact with heated, sensitive flesh, flesh that was flushed and ripe beneath the relentless onslaught of his  mouth.

Gibbs loved seeing him in ecstasy, loved watching Tony slowly lose control and bite his lip to keep from begging when he nosed tentatively at the short and neatly trimmed hair around his sex. Tony’s warm scent flooded him, clouded his brain with lust and a fierce feeling of possession that defied explanation.

Without warning, Jethro flattened his tongue and licked slowly up the length of Tony’s cock. He got the reaction he wanted as his lover’s upper body flew off the bed accompanied by a strangled cry.

“FUCK, Jethro!” Tony exclaimed breathlessly.

“You want me to stop?” Gibbs sat back on his heels.

“Are you kidding?” Tony ran a hand through hair which had long ago passed the point of adorably messy and was fast approaching sexy-as-hell. “But you don’t have to. Believe me, I’m okay with just the rest of it.”

Gibbs didn’t respond, he merely placed a finger in the center of Tony’s sternum and pushed steadily, forcing him back down onto the mattress. Locking eyes with the younger man, he dipped his head and took a second long lick, pausing for a moment to test Tony’s taste on his tongue. It was both foreign and familiar, a more powerful and potent version of the musk already filling his nostrils, of the scent he’d always found oddly comforting whenever the other man was near him. The thick and sticky moisture leaking from his head had a slightly salty, slightly bitter flavor that was warm and savory all at the same time. For reasons that were completely beyond him, it made his cock swell and ache almost painfully.

Jethro realized Tony was holding his breath in anticipation of his all-out rejection of the idea of going any further with his experimentations in oral sex so he smiled gently and without further preamble, leaned down to take the tip of the younger man’s dick in his mouth.

The sharp hissing intake of breath above him was followed by a deep and delicious moan as he settled in and began working his tongue in slow circles, first tracing the thick shelf around Tony’s head and then cradling it between his lips as he lapped slowly at the warm skin that was so much softer than he had ever imagined.

Aside from the equipment, it wasn’t all that different from going down on a woman. He simply focused on Tony’s reactions to each of his movements, repeated the ones that generated the most enthusiastic responses, and experimented with pressure and rhythm as each of his partner’s gasps and moans made his own cock twitch. He took Tony as deep as he could, swallowed him until the muscles of his throat rebelled and forced him to back off slightly and then swallowed him again while Tony shuddered and whimpered from above.

He felt long fingers slipping against his thigh and he shifted slightly to allow Tony easier access. The younger man’s hand trembled as it gripped him, fumbled and faltered over the tight, stretched skin of his cock with each flick of his tongue and twist of his lips. Gibbs hummed his appreciation lightly around the thick burden in his mouth and earned a tight squeeze that made spots swim behind his eyes for a moment.

Tony worked him expertly despite his slight lack of focus while he enjoyed Jethro’s attentions. The soft sweep of a thumb over his head had him bucking rhythmically against the younger man’s palm, mirroring the pace and pressure of Tony’s fingertips with his mouth in mounting urgency.  Concentration became harder and harder to come by as DiNozzo rolled his hips, obviously fighting hard to keep himself flat against the sheets, to not thrust up into his mouth and take what he wanted so desperately.   

Jethro was surprised at just how much he was enjoying the feeling of control and power his current position afforded him, how the moans and gasps and pleas that echoed each lick and flick of his tongue sent liquid heat racing up his spine, circling his hips in ever increasing waves. Still, he knew he couldn’t keep it up much longer. The muscles in his shoulders burned and quivered with effort, his jaw was tight and aching, but still he kept on, pushing Tony closer and closer to the edge even as his own thighs began to tremble, balls began to pull tighter at each quaking sweep of trembling fingers over the length of his cock.

Gibbs heard the shuddering breaths that told him it was time to move the party, felt the increasingly frantic fluttering of the muscles of Tony’s thighs and belly that said he was hanging onto the edge by a mere fingernail now. Carefully, he released the younger man’s dick from between his lips, smirking at the accompanying groan of bitter disappointment and frustration that was just barely on the pleasant side of pain.

On his knees now, he gazed down at Tony’s sweat slicked body, licked his lips at the way his skin glistened delectably in the feeble light filtering in from outside and then slipped his fingers in his own mouth.

Tony’s eyes were on him, lust glazed, lids heavy, just staring in barely restrained anticipation as he thoroughly moistened his own flesh before dropping his hand between Tony’s thighs. Jethro’s fingers found the puckered hole immediately and quickly spread as much wetness as he could. He hoped it was enough because he didn’t have the patience or the resources for more than this and the thick drops leaking from his own cock.

Pressing Tony’s thighs back, he moved low, guiding his dripping head to the warm space below the younger man’s drawn up balls and pushing against the now-familiar tightness until he was pulled into the warm, soft embrace of his lover’s body. Tony’s muffled mutters of delight reached his ears and Gibbs gasped as supple muscle rippled around him, clamped down so firmly he had to fight with everything he had to stave off the orgasm that threatened to overtake him with each of Tony’s tiny squirms.

He forced himself to take deep breaths, sucking air into his lungs past shuddering muscle and focusing on something other than the heaviness at the bottom of his belly that coiled and tightened as he thrust deeper, colliding with the swollen, rounded nub of Tony’s prostate and rocking gently against it once, twice, three times, relishing the way DiNozzo cried out his ecstasy with each short stroke. Gibbs prayed to God he’d remembered to close the window at the end of the hall and that Barry and Edwards weren’t listening too closely.

Jethro knew he could finish them both off right now with a few more quick pulses of his hips but tonight he wanted more, wanted to cherish the first night Tony was spending in _his bed,_ to savor each taste, touch and smell as their combined scent mingled in his sheets. For these few precious moments he wanted to drown in the heat of the man beneath him, lose himself just a little bit more with each airy breath, each muted whimper, each delicious scrape of neatly trimmed fingernails across the small of his back.

Dropping onto his elbows and sliding his hands into the damp tendrils of Tony’s hair, Gibbs pressed the last inch of his cock into tight heat. Rippling muscles caressed his length and pulled at him as Tony planted his heels firmly in his back, locking them together tightly.  Jethro lowered his head into the warm cradle at the joining of the younger man’s neck and shoulder and moved his lips just above the throbbing pulse in his throat.

“Don’t move,” he said in a choked voice as he fought his body’s own instinct to retreat from the tight pressure that gripped him and tried to draw him even deeper.

Long legs constricted around his flanks and he felt the twitch of Tony’s cock from where it was pressed close between their bellies. “You’re kidding right?” Came the tense voice beside his ear.

Gibbs nipped lightly at DiNozzo’s earlobe. “Don’t. Move.” he growled.

Jethro was close, they both were, and he wanted to enjoy the newfound delights of Tony’s body a bit longer before they called it a night, wanted to push DiNozzo’s limits and his own, see just how much his partner could take before he broke for him.

When he felt he had sufficient control again, Gibbs shifted his weight onto his palms and moved just an inch in and out of Tony’s body in slow rolling thrusts that simultaneously stroked the cock pressed between them. Their faces were only inches apart and he could taste each of his lover’s shuddering breaths as Tony clung to his shoulders and begged Jethro to fuck him harder.

“You want more?” Gibbs’ tongue dipped into the hollow of Tony’s throat, devouring the salty pool of sweat that had gathered there.

“God, yes,”DiNozzo panted, legs tightening as he tried to fuck himself onto the cock in his ass.

It was too much. Tony was too warm, too close, too _everything_ and he couldn’t deny him. Pulling out as far as he dared, he slammed back into his lover’s body with a soft grunt, twisting his hips just slightly in the way that made Tony toss his head so wantonly. Again and again he slid home, pelvis pounding against the pliant flesh of Tony’s thighs with a flat smack at each brutal stroke. His lungs and muscles burned, his cock throbbed, and the pressure behind his balls continued to mount relentlessly but Jethro refused to let go.

“Really close,” Tony suddenly panted urgently as his fingers flexed and curled against Gibbs’ shoulders.

With a wrenching groan, Jethro stilled, balls deep in a tight fist of heat. “Not yet,” he ground out, jaw tight with the effort of his own restraint.

“ _Jethro_ ,” he moaned in desperation, trying to twist his hips against Gibbs’ weight which effectively pinned him to the mattress.

“Don’t.” He knew Tony couldn’t argue with that tone. It was the one he used to bark orders when it was necessary to get the younger man’s attention off of whatever mental diversion he had managed to take.

Tony’s eyes flew open and Jethro watched as he fought for focus. “That was cruel, Gibbs,” he said breathlessly.

“I know. Got your attention though.” He caught Tony’s lips and then slid his mouth down to cup the rough stubble of his jaw, nipping lightly as he tongued the smooth skin beneath. He gave an experimental thrust of his hips, testing his sensitivity and deciding a few more moments of respite might be best for both of them when Tony pressed his head back into the pillow with a hiss of indrawn breath.

“Thought about this, you know,” Jethro murmured against the curve of DiNozzo’s Adam’s apple.

“When?” Tony said incredulously, the rumble vibrating up through the older man’s lips.

“Remember that time you dropped my wood lathe on your foot and pouted about it for an hour?”

“I thought I broke my foot,” Tony argued.

Gibbs chuckled lightly sending pleasant shockwaves through them both. “That was the first time I thought about throwing you up against the boat and fucking you. Just to shut you up.”

“Why didn’t you?” His hands moved down and clutched at Jethro’s ass, forcing him to shift slightly.

“Wasn’t ready.” Gibbs began to move again, slow, short strokes stoking a fire that was hardly dampened.

“And now?” Tony managed as his eyes fluttered closed again.

Jethro plunged into Tony’s mouth in answer, swallowing his moans as their tongues began fucking in time with the rhythmic slap of their bodies. Knees inching forward for a slightly better angle, he immediately picked up his pace again. This time there was no turning back. He was driving toward the finish line fast and DiNozzo was meeting his measure, urging him on with breathless pleas. Tears leaked from the corners of the younger man’s eyes as Gibbs’ thrusts became erratic and sloppy, a rhythm borne of instinct and desperation rather than tight control. The warmth in his groin spilled over, rose up his chest and spine as the sweet pulse of ecstasy clawed its way toward release.

“Now,” he cried savagely, the single syllable torn form his throat with his last breath as the warmth that had reached his shoulders suddenly contracted to a single sharp point and then exploded, racing out to fill his limbs.

The heat around him tightened impossibly with the first heaving pulse of his orgasm as Tony arched up beneath him, mouth open in a silent howl as he too let himself fall to the rapture, slicking their stomachs with a thick pool of cum. Gibbs continued to move in shaky strokes, riding out the sweet convulsions even as his legs turned to wobbly jelly. The arms that had gripped him so tightly only a moment before fell heavily atop the sheets as Tony quivered and shook quietly, sighing softly with each fading contraction of muscle.

The idea of relinquishing possession of his lover’s body was tremendously unappealing but Jethro was already softening enough that departure was eminent. Reluctantly, he shifted his weight, slipping softly from Tony’s heat as they separated.

He wanted to collapse. Even now the edges of sleep were tugging at him but the sticky mess coating both of them would be a bit of a problem if he didn’t do something about it soon. Easing himself from the bed on trembling legs despite Tony’s protests, he quickly padded to the bathroom and returned with a damp washcloth. When he had made short work of the clean-up process, he settled in beside DiNozzo who promptly turned on his side and slipped into the crook of his arm, the same position he had woken in on their first day on the mountain.

“You’re full of surprises, Jethro,” Tony mumbled sleepily.

“Oh?” Gibbs brushed the sweat dampened hair from the younger man’s forehead and pressed his lips to the warmth of his skin.

“Mmm…first the cuddling, then the amazing-and I really mean _amazing_ \- sex, and now…” he trailed off hesitantly.

“What?” Jethro pressed, lazily.

“You’re chatty,” Tony admitted.

“I’m _what?”_

“Chatty. During sex. I mean it Gibbs, I think you’ve said more to me with your cock in my ass than you have in over a decade. Not that I’m complaining,” he inserted quickly.

Gibbs grunted, but smiled softly against Tony’s hair. “Sleep,” he muttered, unable to muster enough energy to continue even playful banter. He’d make DiNozzo pay for the comment tomorrow.

Long arms tightened around him slightly before going slack and he reached down to pull the blankets up around them, finding peace in the shelter of  Tony’s embrace despite the chaos of his mind.

 

* * *

 

Tony wasn’t exactly sure what brought him out of the depths of an extremely sound sleep, but one look at Jethro and he was immediately wide awake.

Gibbs hovered near the threshold of the door, poised on the balls of his feet, eyes closed and listening intently to something beyond Tony’s perception. As he watched, Jethro pivoted with cat-like grace and slowly swung the heavy bedroom door shut on soundless hinges, managing to muffle all but the quietest of clicks as the lock caught. Turning to Tony, he raised a finger to his lips and moved close.

“You smellin’ something, Gibbs?” Tony whispered.

“Not sure. House feels…off.” He crouched down beside the bed and put his hand flat against the floorboards, feeling for something in the silence for minutes that seemed like hours before letting out a sigh and relaxing slightly.

Tony could tell he wasn’t completely letting down his guard yet but Gibbs must have sensed the passing of whatever he perceived as a more immediate threat. Surprised when Jethro looked up at him with haunted eyes, he placed a hand against the older man’s cheek and nearly fell over when soft lips turned into his palm and caressed it softly.

“Guy’s inside my head, Tony,” he confessed softly.

After the last decade and, more specifically, the last few days, there shouldn’t have been any more surprises for him when it came to Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but this naked vulnerability was a completely new twist. He’d seen something like it just after Kate took a bullet to the head, and the sheer wrongness of it had nearly set his skin on fire. Tony’s heart fisted in his chest as he pulled Jethro’s silver head into his lap, stroking gently at the older man’s tense shoulders as he made a passing attempt at comfort and thoroughly expected Gibbs to rise up and head slap him at any moment.

To his surprise, Jethro only settled into the embrace, sighing deeply as he dropped to his knees and wrapped long arms around Tony’s waist.

“He’s gonna make a mistake, Gibbs,” he murmured soothingly. “I don’t think Estes is a man who’s used to waiting for what he wants, at least not in the long term. He might wait for a kill, wait for an open shot, but when we don’t give it to him he’s gonna get impatient.”

“That’s the part that worries me.”

The sudden tinkling explosion of glass behind him sent Tony sprawling onto Jethro, flattening him to the floor behind the shelter of the bed as feathers rained down around them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I was in the midst of posting this when er had an earthquake. In Michigan. I was distracted during editing so if I made a mistake I apologize.But seriously, we don't get earthquakes here.


	13. Chapter 13

****

Special Agent Michael Edwards had worked his share of protective details in his five years as an NCIS agent and even done a brief stint with the secret service during the Bush years. As he completed his tenth intermittent sweep of the perimeter at his current charge’s residence, checking doors and windows, stopping to listen from time to time for any unusual sounds, it was his bladder that ultimately betrayed him.

“Negative activity on the perimeter,” he said quietly into the small microphone at his wrist. “Gonna hit the head and meet you out front.”

“Don’t let Gibbs catch you pissing on his rose bushes. You’ll be doing his paperwork for a month.” The soft sound of laughter filled his ear as his partner chided him through the tiny speaker inserted there.

Shaking his head and realizing that Barry was probably right, he glanced up at the second story window above him which was still dark. As he began to relieve himself, he heard voices from inside the house gently filtering out on the breeze. Immediately alert, he listened for any signs of distress and when a low groan made its way to his ears he had his gun half out of the holster before he realized the sound had been one of extreme pleasure rather than pain.

Curious now, he quickly zipped up his pants and turned his ear toward the darkened window. There was no doubt in his mind that the sounds he was hearing were emanating from DiNozzo, but when a second, voice, unmistakable as that of Gibbs, joined the chorus of heated moans, he shook his head in stunned disbelief. “I’ll be damned,” he whispered incredulously.

He’d heard rumors about DiNozzo’s prowess and rather indiscriminate tastes, but he knew better that to listen to, much less repeat, gossip about anyone on the MCRT. Gibbs had a reputation for defending his team and that wasn’t a fight he was looking for.

Distracted for mere seconds, he didn’t see the movement past the darker shadows of the bushes, didn’t feel the whisper of air against his chin, didn’t hear so much as an indrawn breath until the sharp steel wire was tight against his throat, too tight to breathe, too tight to make even the weakest of cries for help. He was pulled into the air against a solid mass of muscle that may as well have been a brick wall, pulled high enough that his kicking feet made no sound. His last perception was of warm wetness beginning to seep through his collar as his blood spilled out onto the ground.

Five minutes later, Agent Stephen Barry expected his partner to emerge from around the Northwest corner of the house as they had agreed. The light from Gibbs’ front porch shone in his eyes but he could see Edward’s outline and the bright white NCIS emblem across the front of his jacket as he casually sauntered toward him. With all his training, he didn’t notice that his partner had grown 3 inches in the last ten minutes or that his shoulders had broadened considerably. His only warning was the sharp-ozone scent of fresh blood that drifted on the cool evening breeze as Edwards closed the last few feet between them. Unfortunately, he didn’t notice it soon enough to dodge the well-aimed bullet that penetrated the center of his forehead, tearing through brain matter and forever silencing the cry of alarm that was rising in his throat.

* * *

 

“You hit?” Gibbs asked urgently, running his hands over Tony’s body and rolling so that the younger man’s weight was off of him while still staying close to the floor.

Tony forced air into his lungs and bit back the bitter thrill of adrenalin that rose up his throat beneath the pounding of his heart. Forcing his body to feel past the numbness of shock, he took a careful inventory of all of his limbs.

“My arm. I think he grazed it.” There was a stinging warmth a few inches above his elbow and he felt wetness seeping over his skin.

Jethro examined him quickly. “It’s not deep. Might need stitches though.” He reached backwards, pulling open a drawer in the nightstand beside the bed and removing a neatly folded piece of cloth which he quickly tied securely over Tony’s wound. “You good?”

“I’m good,” DiNozzo reassured him, unable to miss the note of fear underlying the unmistakable anger in Gibbs’ voice. “You?”

“I’m clean. He couldn’t get a clear shot through the curtains.”

Tony looked over to where a tattered gauzy panel fluttered in the breeze from the broken window. “Think he’s still out there?”

“I wouldn’t be. That glass breaking was loud enough make people around here nosey even if he had a powerful silencer. He knows he missed his target.”

“Why take the shot then?” He pressed gently at the material on his arm which seemed to be staunching the flow of blood.

“To let us know he could,” Gibbs grunted, shifting onto his stomach and crawling knees-and-elbows toward the shattered window. Tony heard the tinkle of glass on hard wood as Jethro used a pillow to sweep shards out of his path. All light in the room was immediately extinguished as he pulled heavy drapes over sheer curtains.

“Must have been on the rooftop across the street to get that angle. Should have closed these earlier,” he growled, obviously angry at himself for being distracted and leaving Estes an opportunity.

Tony stayed low, wincing at the pain in his arm that was beginning to throb as he retrieved his cell phone from the feather covered night stand. The pillow his head had been resting soundly on just a few minutes ago was decimated. He suppressed a shudder and said his thousandth prayer for the strength of Gibbs’ gut.

Knowing that closed curtains wouldn’t stop a desperate man from taking a shot and hoping to hit something at random, they both kept to what cover they could as they gathered enough items to decently clothe themselves, eyes adjusting slowly to the deeper darkness.

Still on his belly, Gibbs reached into another drawer and removed a strong box which he opened to reveal a pair of 9mms. He tossed one to Tony along with a clip as soon as DiNozzo had finished awkwardly wriggling into his jeans.

The sour feeling in the pit of Tony’s stomach that told him something was desperately wrong grew as he quickly called for backup. By now they should have heard a response from the detail outside, but the house and street were eerily silent. It was possible they were pinned down out there, but somehow he seriously doubted that.

Gibbs was heading for the door when Tony pulled him back. “If you’re right, then he’s already gone and us going out blind isn’t going to do any good anyway. How do we know that shot wasn’t designed to flush us out into the open where he has a better view? He could be anywhere right now, even right outside that door. You really want to take that chance when we have good cover and backup on the way?”

“There are agents outside,” Jethro said stubbornly, obviously aching to pursue Estes despite the likely futility of a chase.

Tony shook his head. “No there aren’t, and you know it,” he said gravely. “They would have been in here guns blazing the minute that glass shattered.” Of the two of them he never thought he would be the one to talk reason to Gibbs but it was clear the older man wasn’t thinking with his head right now. After all, this asshole had brought the fight right into his house, into his bed. How could that not make it personal?

Jethro sat flat against the wall beside the door, gun resting between his drawn up legs. He dropped his head back with a frustrated sigh. Already they could hear sirens in the distance, local leos on their way to what would surely become a large scale manhunt and jurisdictional battle ground as soon as NCIS arrived.

“Forensics is gonna sweep this room from top to bottom.” He glanced at the bed meaningfully with its rumpled sheets and then looked levelly at Tony in the near darkness.

“You okay with that?” Tony knew exactly what Jethro was driving at. They couldn’t disturb a crime scene in good conscience and the evidence of their lovemaking earlier was abundant. Even a probie wouldn’t fail to put the pieces together. “We can keep our own people on it. We know who to trust.”

“Yeah.” Gibbs rubbed a hand across his eyes, pushing himself up the wall as the sirens rose to a keening wail and stopped immediately outside. “Not exactly the way I planned this.”

“You had a plan?” Tony said incredulously, unable to contain a hint of a grin despite the circumstances.

Jethro cringed at the sound of splintering timber from below as a door was kicked in. “Two armed Federal Agents, first bedroom, top of the stairs,” he called out loudly.

“I had a bit of a plan, yeah,” he said flatly.

The sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs reached their ears. “You ready for this, Gibbs?”

“I’m ready.” There wasn’t a trace of self-doubt in his voice and Tony’s head spun with the force of those simple words.

“Metro Police.” An officer identified himself outside the door.

“Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo, NCIS. We’re armed.” Jethro reached for the door and popped the lock, letting it swing open slowly. Light from the hallway immediately streamed into the darkened room and they saw the outline of two men in Metro blues just outside.

Tony produced his badge from his jean’s pocket and handed it to Gibbs who flashed the officers. “Mine’s on the stairs,” he supplied as they examined the ID.

DiNozzo had an inner pang at the thought of the wreckage of clothing the officers had had to walk through to get upstairs. There were sure to be some chuckles going on back in the squad room tonight.

“Everyone here okay? We had a report of possible gunfire and an APB about a possible rooftop shooter.”

“We’re fine but we’ve got two agents outside. Any sign of them?” Gibbs asked urgently, pushing past him out into the hallway.

“No sign of anyone outside and the surrounding rooftops appear clear at this time,” the second officer supplied.

“I believe this incident is part of an ongoing NCIS investigation and I am asking Metro to stand down until NCIS officers arrive to coordinate,” Gibbs said in his no-argument voice.

“Word travels fast, Agent Gibbs. I got a call from headquarters on the way here that we were to delay any investigation or search after securing the immediate area. This part of that case with those two marines up in the Park? Thought I recognized your name from the news earlier.”

Gibbs’ grunt was his only acknowledgement. He hesitated just a moment at the top of the stairs, looking down at the chaos of littered clothing.

“I uhh…I’ll leave certain details out of my report, of course,” the unfortunate officer said a bit uncomfortably.

Tony had rarely seen Jethro round on someone so quickly. He flinched involuntarily in sympathy as Gibbs turned to the unprepared cop. “You put whatever the hell you want in your report. I don’t give a damn.” He stalked down the stairs leaving everything right where it was and stopping only to retrieve his badge from the pocket of his pants before tossing them haphazardly back over the railing.

* * *

 

Tim pressed his thumbs into the corners of his eyes against the strain and focused once again on the screen in front of him. The familiar ding of the elevator reached his ears but he barely took notice of it. NCIS really never slept, there were always agents and clerical personnel in the office after hours, working overseas desks or following up on things that just couldn’t wait until morning. It wasn’t until the sound of heavy boots and softly clinking metal chains slowly approaching filtered through that he raised his head in surprise.

“Abby, what are you doing here? Where’s your detail?” He stood to confront her.

“I could ask the same thing, Timmy.” She arched an eyebrow at him. “I’m working. You don’t think Gibbs actually expected me to go _home_ do you? And don’t worry, Andrew is asleep on the mattress down in my lab. I swore I wouldn’t leave the building without waking him”

“Andrew? And since when do you leave just anyone alone in your lab?” McGee tried to keep his voice from rising but failed utterly.

The gleam in Abby’s eyes at his tone was unmistakable. “Jealousy, McGee? I’ll have to invite men into my lab more often.”

“I was just concerned for your safety, that’s all,” he covered awkwardly, settling back down in his chair.

“Thank you, Tim.” Abby moved around behind him and leaned over to peer at his computer screen. Her hand gently resting on his shoulder sent heat radiating down his arm and he cleared his throat and tried to focus.

“Working doesn’t explain what you’re doing up _here_ , Abby,” he pressed.

“Oh.” She stood up straight, tented her fingers and began pacing heel to toe between his and DiNozzo’s desks. “Sometimes I just come up here to get out of my head. It helps me think straight. Something keeps bothering me about Estes’s journal. Well, I mean a lot of things _bother_ me about it, the thing reads like Satan’s apprentice’s ‘dear diary’, but I mean, like I’m missing something. I’ve had my nose buried in it for an hour and I still can’t find anything more.” She stopped, shuddering visibly as she thought about the contents. “I just needed to go to my happy place for a while.”

“This is your happy place?” he asked incredulously, looking around the empty MCRT bullpen.

“This is _one_ of my happy places,” Abby corrected.

“Why?”

Raising a finger as if to illustrate her point, she sat down in Tony’s chair and kicked her heavy boots up onto the edge of the desk, folding her hands behind her head as she leaned back in an eerie re-creation of one of DiNozzo’s favorite poses.

“You pretend to be us when we’re not here, don’t you?” It wasn’t so much a question.

A radiant smile broke across her face. “Mostly just Gibbs. But Tony’s fun too. Kind of liberating in a child-like way.” She lowered her heels and quickly crossed back to her previous position gazing at his computer screen. “So what are _you_ doing here in the middle of the night, Timmy?”

“Just checking out updated hits from the BOLO and cross referencing them against a compilation of local PD reports from across the Metro area, Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland. So far nothing that really stands out.” He turned back to the screen and read off a few bulletins that had come up since Abby walked in. “Domestic dispute in Anacostia…B and E in Chinatown…report of possible gunfire in…”

He felt the blood drain out of his face as the letters spun before his eyes. He read the address again three times just to be sure and reached for his gun and badge.

“McGee, what is it?” Abby said urgently, clutching at his arm as he tried to move past her.

“That’s Gibbs’ street,” he said as calmly as he could, racing heart growing cold as her eyes turned wide and fearful.

“No,” Abby stomped her foot for emphasis. “No, no, no. We need to get there, McGee. We need to get there now.”

“Do you really think they’re going to let either of us out of the building until we know exactly what this is? They already have backup on the way from local law enforcement. I’m going to call Vance and have him get our people on it right away. I want to be there too, Abbs, but we have to wait, at least for a little while.” He wanted his voice to be reassuring but the odds of something like this being coincidence were slim.

“You make them let us out, Tim, as soon as you can.” Pinning him with a glare, she added, “And I swear to god if you even _try_ to leave me here…” She turned with her ever surprising grace and headed for the elevators.

“Where are you going?” He called out as he picked up the phone.

“To wake up Andrew and tell him to get his butt in gear,” Abby shouted over her shoulder.

Any other time he would have watched her walk away, kept his eyes on her until the steel doors slid shut and blocked her from his view but right now he had more important things on his mind.

“Please be okay,” he muttered under his breath as he dialed Vance’s cell.

* * *

 

Gibbs’ house was a beehive of activity when McGee arrived. It looked like half the uniform squad of DC metro had already arrived on scene and he saw at least two helos buzzing around overhead making grid sweeps of the area. He and Abby went through not one, but three ID checks before being admitted to the inner sanctum where they found Gibbs and Vance at the center of a swarm of activity.

Abby, who had been clinging to his arm through the chaos outside, sprinted forward on clomping heels and threw her arms awkwardly around Tony who was sitting just off to the edge of the action and being examined by a paramedic.

“Ahh…” he hissed, “easy, Abbs, this guy’s got a needle and thread in my skin.”

“Did he hurt you?” Her eyes darkened as she quickly examined the several-inch laceration on his arm. “I will kill him.”

By the sound of her voice, there wasn’t a doubt in Tim’s head that she would do just that if given the opportunity, and he smiled to himself at the thought.

The paramedic’s eyes widened visibly.

“Oh. I didn’t mean you,” she quickly assured him, “but, you know, be as gentle as possible.”

 “What in the hell are you doing here, Abby?” Gibbs barked, making his way over to the group. “McGee, what in the hell is she doing here?”

“I…uhh…I saw the alert come up on my computer and Abby was with me and…” He looked at Gibbs pleadingly. “You know it’s impossible to say no to her, Boss. Besides, we both have our details with us.”

Jethro’s gaze swept to Abby who was still hovering protectively over Tony and his eyes softened the way they always seemed to when she was around. “I suppose that with half the agents of NCIS canvassing and a good portion of metro PD combing the streets, this place is about as safe as you can get.” The numbers were certainly an exaggeration but he wasn’t wrong.

Tim let out the breath he’d been holding in anticipation of the scolding of his career.

“Not so fast, McGee. If you’re here, you’re working. Bullet came through the bedroom window upstairs. I want you to process the scene.”

“Gibbs…” Tony started to object but was quickly silenced by a level stare from their boss.

McGee looked at the pair with a half-puzzled expression. Something had felt different with both of them since their return and he just couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. “Sure, Boss. I’ll just grab another agent and…”

“No. Just you. And take Abby with you. At least she’ll be out of the way,” Jethro was quick to insist.

“But Gibbs, I don’t do on-scene forensics.” Abby suddenly popped up from Tony’s side.

“Then you’ll learn. Just listen to what McGee tells you to do and don’t touch anything unless he says so.” He leaned in close, placed his lips gently to her cheek and whispered, “Make sure he understands what he’s going to see up there, Abbs. Explain it to him.”

“Gibbs, I don’t…” she began before she was silenced by a pleading look from Tony. She glanced over at Tim and then nodded slowly in understanding.

“I’ll just grab the equipment out of the van and…” he gestured over his shoulder, sensing the awkwardness of whatever was happening between all three of his co-workers and eager to be free of it for a moment. As he turned, something on the floor caught his eye and he bent down to retrieve it. “Somebody lose a button?”

For some reason, DiNozzo began coughing uncontrollably.

* * *

 

Tim finished lugging the last of the boxes of measuring, collection, and testing equipment up the stairs. Most likely he wouldn’t need much, just a sight to measure the trajectory of the bullet and an evidence bag to collect it once he found it. As far as crime scenes went, this was one of the least complicated processing job’s he’d seen and he didn’t understand why Gibbs hadn’t asked another agent to do it long before he arrived.

He had to admit to being a little curious about this part of Gibbs’ home. He’d been here many times and while he knew there _was_ an upstairs, he’d always considered it so completely off-limits that it was almost as if it didn’t exist at all. Now that he thought about it, Gibbs’ decision to have him process the scene alone made much more sense. He was about to enter the unknown inner sanctum of Gibbsdom.

Abby was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, just outside of a heavy wooden door he assumed led to the bedroom that was his ultimate destination. She had been jumpy from the moment Gibbs asked her to assist him and by the way she was wringing her hands and pacing, it seemed like it was more than a simple case of dealing with something unfamiliar.

“Abby, what’s wrong with you?” He asked as he set a box down to open the door?

She looked at him with something that oddly resembled sympathy and took a deep breath. “It’s gonna be okay, Tim,” she said solemnly, placing a hand on his arm.

“What in the hell is wrong with everyone tonight? Gibbs and Tony have been acting weird all day and now you? Did someone die and no one told me?” He turned the knob and felt along the wall for the light switch.  

The room was chilly from the cool night breeze that blew in around thick curtains he assumed were covering the broken window. Tim quickly scanned the room, taking in the rumpled bed, the feathers that still stirred gently on tiny currents of air, the broken glass and the few pieces of scattered clothing that littered the floor. He took a few pictures from the hallway and then stepped into the room with Abby following closely on his heels.

“I think the bullet hit over there.” Abby pointed over his shoulder to the pillow which looked as if a tiny bomb had gone off inside of it.

Ignoring the apparent impact site for the moment, Tim made his way over to the window and snapped shots with the curtains closed and opened, capturing the edges of the fractured pane which might be important in analysis later. He marked and photographed the broken glass on the floor as well before finally moving to the bed.

There was blood spatter on the pillow from where the bullet had grazed Tony’s arm on its way through. He shuddered at the thought of what he might be looking at right now if Estes had had a clearer shot.

“Looks like there’s a pretty clean bullet entry. Hand me the infrared filter, Abbs, I want to get a shot of any gunshot residue.

“Hey, did Tony say what woke him up before the shot was fired? Pretty clear he was sitting up at the time,” McGee asked as the camera snapped away. Something was tickling the back of his brain, something he should be able to see but that was remaining maddeningly out of sight.

“He…he just said Gibbs thought the house felt…hinky,” she said awkwardly.

“Huh. Can you believe Gibbs let him sleep in his bed? I thought he saved Tony’s life up on that mountain not the other way around. I’d think Gibbs had gone off the deep end if he let me sleep in his bed while he took the couch.” Tim removed the camera filter and handed it back to Abby.

“I want to get the blood spatter under the black light and then we’ll move the bedding and dig for the bullet. Can you hit the lights?” He powered up the hand held light and waited.

“Tim…” Abby’s voice sounded slightly worried.

“It’s fine Abbs, we’ll turn the lights back on in just a second.” He didn’t understand her reluctant sigh in response but she flipped the switch and the room was bathed in the eerie light. “Can you hold this while I take some pictures?”

She took the light from his outstretched hand and stepped closer to the bed. He tried not to focus on the way her fingertips brushed gently over his knuckles in the exchange.

“Good, just hold it right there while I focus…Got it. Looks like there’s more just over…Can you swing the light to the right?” Abby complied and he was able to see several large glowing patches on the sheets closer to the center of the bed.

“McGee…” she tried to warn him as he moved the sheets with gloved hands, “McGee, that’s not blood.” This time she grabbed his wrist to stop him from going any further.

He turned, eyes widening in the odd light before he made a disgusted face. “OH Eww…” He dropped the edge of the sheet he was holding and moved quickly to flip on the light as if eliminating the visual evidence would somehow erase what he had just seen from his brain. “God, only DiNozzo…and with Gibbs right downstairs.”

“Tim, Gibbs wasn’t downstairs,” Abby said calmly.

“What? Of course he was. Even Tony wouldn’t…wouldn’t do THAT with him in the room.” There it was again, that prickling at the back of his brain, the realization that was trying to force itself to the surface. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as his eyes flew back to the bed, added up the disheveled sheets and blankets and the two obviously-slept-on pillows, factored in the clothing strewn on the floor-something he doubted Gibbs was capable of tolerating-and began to form a picture that his brain wholly refused to accept.

“Get there faster, Timmy.” Abby tapped her foot impatiently.

“You’re saying Gibbs and Tony were…were in that bed together? Abby, that’s ridiculous. They wouldn’t…GIBBS wouldn’t…there are rules and…” His head was spinning. He really needed to sit down but the only piece of furniture in the room was that bed and there was no way he was sitting _there._

“And sometimes there are things that are more important than rules, even for Gibbs,” she said gently, supporting him under his arm and leading him slowly to the wall where he leaned back, grateful for the solid support as his world shifted.

“This is crazy, Abby. Gibbs wouldn’t…he’s not…It’s just…”he found himself incapable of saying the words out loud, of letting the thought form solidly in his head. Everything in him rebelled against the idea.

“Crazy?” she finished for him. “Is it really? There’s always been a connection between them that none of us really understood. Even you have to admit that. We all know they’ve gotten closer over the last year, that something’s changed. Is it really that hard to believe that there might be something more there? That they just want to be happy?”

“How did you find out?” he asked, still absolutely stunned.

“I just sort of…knew,” she said vaguely.

“How? I mean, has this been going on for a while? Did Gibbs tell you? Did Tony? Oh my god, does _Ziva_ know?” Tim knew his voice was beginning to sound panicky but he seemed unable to calm the rapid pounding of his pulse. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“Geez, McGee, you’re a trained investigator, you read people in interrogation all the time, how did you NOT know? I knew it the second they walked off the elevator today.” A devious smile turned her mouth up at the corners and her eyes sparkled knowingly. “I’d say they made _very_ good use of their few days away from NCIS.”

His eyes strayed to the bed again and he let out a groan. He bent his knees and hung his head, trying to stop the vicious spinning. “I’m gonna need a second.”

“Deep breaths, Timmy. It’s all going to be okay.” She rubbed his back soothingly, hoping her words conveyed more confidence than she felt. _It’s all going to be okay_.

 

 

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

****

Tony watched as McGee descended the stairs followed closely by Abby. Tim’s face was totally unreadable but he appeared slightly dazed. Looking to Abby for any kind of clue as to how McGee was reacting, he was somewhat relieved when she caught his eye and gave him a slow nod.

His stomach had been in knots since Gibbs sent McGee upstairs and Tony had no choice but to admit to himself that for whatever reason, Tim’s acceptance of this change in his life was more important to him than anyone else’s. He tried to imagine how he would feel if the shoe was on the other foot and he couldn’t blame McGee one bit for being upset and confused. He only hoped that somehow they could work past it.

Burdened with all the testing equipment, Tim paused briefly between Tony and Gibbs. He looked uncertainly from one to the other, opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it again before dropping his head and mumbling a few nearly unintelligible words about getting the gear back to the truck.

Gibbs caught Tony’s eye and jerked his head toward the door, urging him to follow.

“What do I say to him?”

“Just talk to him. Tell him whatever he needs to hear. You’ll know.”

“Can’t you do it? He’ll understand it coming from you,” Tony whined plaintively.

“I’m his boss. You’re his friend. He needs to hear it from you first.” Gibbs said, in the tone that always ended any further discussion.

He nodded reluctantly and with a last sympathetic look from Abby, headed out to face the music.

McGee was at the back of the NCIS van, busily packing up boxes and logging in evidence beneath the fluorescent lights that lit up the whole area. There were several agents hovering just out of earshot and trying to look busy, all no doubt under orders from Vance to keep a close eye on the team. Taking a deep breath, he dove in.

“Hey, Tim,” he said softly, moving in beside the younger agent and helping him throw equipment in the back of the van as best he could with his injured arm.

“Hey,” McGee replied, not looking up at him.

_Throw me a bone here, Probie._

Tony tried to think of some way to address the elephant in the room.  “So Timmy, I heard this crazy rumor today that I was sleeping with the boss. I mean, can you believe that? Me and Gibbs? Unbelievable, right?”

“It’s not funny, Tony.” McGee froze in the act of closing the van doors and finally looked up at him.

DiNozzo’s heart fell at the look in Tim’s eyes, part shock, part pain, and one hundred percent humorless. His attempt to try and make light of the situation had obviously fallen flat so he decided to take a different path. “No, you’re right. It’s not funny, Tim. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

“Would you have told me if I hadn’t had to go upstairs and nearly fall in head first?” he asked flatly.

“Probably. Eventually.” He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. “Hell, I don’t know. It wasn’t as if this was something either of us had planned. It just sort of…happened. I guess it’s been happening for a while now and this whole thing just flipped the switch. Believe me, no one is as surprised by this as I am.”

“How long?” It was hard not to flinch at the accusation in Tim’s voice.

“Days, McGee.” He said, holding the younger man’s eyes.  “Only since the cabin. I swear, before that all we ever did was hang out in the basement, drink bourbon, and work on the boat. Nothing you, Vance, and Ziva haven’t done twenty times.”

“I’ve never just ‘hung out’ with Gibbs, Tony.” Tim finally slammed the door closed. “But that’s not really the point is it? Are you just planning to make the rounds to everyone on the team? First we all look the other way while you’re sleeping with Ziva when Gibbs adioses off to Mexico, which I almost get in a really twisted kind of way, and now Gibbs? Who’s next? Abby? Palmer? ME? Do you ever stop and think with something other than your dick?” he accused. “And speaking of Ziva, what does she think about all of this? Abby said that she knew but she didn’t go into any details.”

“She, uh…she sort of walked in on us in the shower room earlier,” Tony said sheepishly.

“Oh for God’s…remind me never to use the NCIS showers again.” Tim rubbed at his temples vigorously and then swiped a hand across his eyes as if trying to scrub the image from his brain.

“I talked to her, Tim, like I’m talking to you now…sort of.” He flashed back to the rather heated discussion from earlier. “She wasn’t exactly thrilled like Abby seems to be but she’s okay. I think she’s trying to understand in her own way just like I hope you will. I promised her there was no way Gibbs would allow it to compromise the work. I promise you the same thing.”

McGee’s shoulders seemed to lower just a few inches. “I suppose that’s something, anyway. I mean, not that I don’t still feel like I need about a dozen showers after processing …that.” He glanced over his shoulder at Gibbs’ house. “But it’s more than that, Tony. How are we supposed to work as a team now? I mean, I knew there was always something there, even a priest could feel the sexual tension between you two from time to time. And all of those head slaps?” he shuddered, “Was that just some bizarre kind of foreplay? I know this is a lonely gig. I know it’s next to impossible to meet someone let alone make it work with anyone who’s not in the game, but _Gibbs?_ I just…”

“He loves me,” Tony interrupted perhaps a little more loudly than he had intended. “He loves me, Tim,” he repeated more quietly, letting the words sink in. “And not in the way that he loves you or Ziva or Abby, because you know he does. Do you have any idea what an inconceivable thing that is for me? For him? I’m sorry for what that does to the team and it kills me if it means you and I aren’t friends anymore because of it, Probie. But I would give up all of that and more,” his voice broke and the bottom edge of his vision grew blurry, “and I would give it over and over again for even the smallest _chance_ to be loved by him for the rest of my life.”

Tim gaped at him, wide eyed and speechless at his sincerity, at the power behind his declaration.

Tony swiped angrily at his eyes and took a shaky breath, trying to bring his emotions back under control.  

As if on cue, he felt the warmth of Jethro’s hand gently cupping his shoulder.

“Head back inside and grab your gear, Tony. They’re gonna have teams working the neighborhood for leads for the next day before this all burns out so we’re relocating.”

His voice was low and gentle and Tony wondered just how much of his conversation with Tim Gibbs had been within earshot of.

He nodded and turned to go but Jethro caught his hand and squeezed it meaningfully, sweeping his thumb gently over Tony’s knuckles in a tiny gesture so intimate it sent heat rushing to his cheeks. He glanced at Tim self-consciously, not at all comfortable with the open display of affection and even less comfortable with the butterflies it stirred in his stomach. McGee’s face was almost unreadable as his gaze flickered down to their intertwined fingers but when he looked up again, Tony thought he saw his eyes soften just a little. Satisfied that it was at least a beginning, he tried to keep his feet on the ground as he trotted back up the sidewalk.

* * *

 

“We okay, McGee?” Gibbs asked, searching the younger man’s bright green eyes as soon as Tony disappeared safely into the house.

“I think we have to be,” Tim said steadily, though his voice betrayed his uncertainty. He hesitated a moment and Gibbs watched him struggle to put voice to the questions that were bouncing around inside his head. “Why, Gibbs?” he asked finally. “I mean, Tony, I get. He’s…he’s Tony. But all your rules? I guess I always thought you’d put the team first, no matter what.  I just didn’t think I’d ever be…” He trailed off, unable to say the words that hovered on the tip of his tongue.

“Be what, Tim?” Jethro asked, knowing the answer already. It was important that McGee let it out now, didn’t walk around holding in what Gibbs knew he must be feeling.

“Disappointed in you, Boss.” The words fell heavily from his tongue and he seemed surprised that he had actually managed to say them out loud.

McGee’s earnestness was like a blow to the gut, more so than he had even been prepared for. “The last thing in the world I ever wanted to be to you, Tim, was a disappointment,” he sighed, the truth of it settling over him like a hundred pound weight. He had made his choice and that came with a price. Right now that price was the lost look and the searching sincerity in the stormy green eyes probing his, looking for answers he didn’t have. “I know I let you down sometimes-Ziva and Tony too,” he confessed. “This may come as a surprise, but I don’t always know how to be what you need me to be, McGee.”

Tim looked startled at the admission. “Gibbs, I didn’t mean…”

“Yeah, ya did. And it’s okay. You’re not wrong. But what Tony said? It goes double for me. I know what he needs from me, McGee, and it surprises the hell out of me that I need it too. I know you’re disappointed and maybe I am the very worst kind of hypocrite in the world right now but the minute I thought he might die on me I knew I couldn’t live another minute letting _him_ down,” he said vehemently. His voice was barely above a whisper but even he was slightly surprised at the passion behind his words.  “Am I breaking the rules? Hell yes.  Because sometimes the rules are _worth_ breaking. And I won’t apologize for loving him enough to do that, not to you, not to anyone.” Jethro held Tim’s gaze steadily as the younger man turned the entire situation over in his mind. He was asking him to take in a lot but he knew McGee and he knew that, while his loyalty was harder-won that anyone suspected, it was also not easily shaken.

After a few minutes, he simply nodded at Tim. They had both made their points, said what they needed to say and the rest was just going to take time to adjust itself back into order.

“I know you’re hurt and angry and confused and you have every right to be, but don’t take this out on Tony. If you want an asshole to blame, blame me. I can take it. Tony needs you more than he would ever admit, McGee, and deep down you know it.”

Tim nodded mutely and Gibbs could tell he was carefully weighing every word.

“I need you too, Tim. Don’t ever forget that.” He clapped McGee on the shoulder gently and turned for the house without another word.

* * *

 

“No offense director, but I’m pretty sure Gibbs isn’t going to be happy about that.” Tony and several agents were circled around Vance when Gibbs made it back to his living room.

“Happy about what?”

Vance ignored him and addressed DiNozzo directly. “Last time I checked, Agent DiNozzo, Gibbs was not the Director of NCIS. I’ve made a note of your objection, just as I will make a note of his but I still say, it’s 1am, I’ve got an inter-agency manhunt underway which you will have no part of for reasons I do not need to state, and I don’t want to see any member of your team in the office until I can guarantee you don’t all have targets on your back any longer, do you understand me?” He looked over DiNozzo’s head and locked eyes with Gibbs, daring him to voice dissent.

“A word in private, Director?” Gibbs said as calmly as he could. It was true he was chomping at the bit to find Estes’ trail and take the bastard down once and for all, now more than ever. He didn’t like the idea of being benched even for a few hours, let alone indefinitely.

Vance nodded at him and Gibbs caught DiNozzo’s eye briefly before he and Leon made their way into the alcove just off the kitchen.

“You really gonna put us on the sidelines for this one, Leon? This guy is a threat, an escalating threat, and we need to spend every minute of manpower we have hunting him down relentlessly. I’m good, DiNozzo’s good, my team is good. Let us do what we’re best at, let us do what we’re trained for.” Jethro kept his voice under control but barely and his jaw ached from the effort of holding back.

Vance contemplated him calmly a moment before speaking. “A threat? Gibbs, this guy is a menace. I’ve got two dead agents on their way to the morgue and don’t even get me started on the mess we’re cleaning up across the street. You walked into the bullpen straight off of a mountain earlier today after nearly losing a member of your team and you haven’t stopped since. I need you, Gibbs, but I need you fresh and I need you focused. Your head’s too wrapped up in this guy for you to be any good to me until you step away for a minute and get it together. I don’t care what you have to do but I don’t want to see you at NCIS until you’ve gotten a little separation from this case. If anything new comes in, you will be my first call.”

“You gonna sequester us in a safe house? After tonight it’s pretty obvious he’s not going to be slowed down by a few agents. We know he had at least one Marine Lieutenant swayed and I still think his exploits in Afghanistan were covered up on an even higher level. How do we know he doesn’t have someone with access to our safe house info? I don’t want to let him take out any more of our people just because you think I’m too close to the case. Benching this team is a liability, plain and simple.”

“Liability? It’s pretty clear to me what our biggest liability is right now, Jethro, and I’m looking at it. You were right, I should never have put you out in front of the public on this one and I’ll take the blame for that, but Estes has made you his prime target and that puts NCIS and everyone associated with you in danger. I’m not sidelining you permanently but let’s let the dust settle a little bit before we go tearing into a fire fight. I’ve got a team securing DiNozzo’s building as we speak. With only one entrance and a full bank of security cameras at our disposal, it’s a more viable option than this place anyway. I assume you’ll insist on staying with him?” Vance raised an eyebrow.

Gibbs nodded. “I still think this is a mistake, Leon.”

“Noted. But I think you know as well as I do that he’s likely to stay down, at least for a little while. He got his message across loud and clear. He’s not going to come at us again until he’s got a viable plan and that involves timing and leverage. I plan to get to him first and that means having my best people at their very best.”

It was clearly a dismissal but Jethro wasn’t about to let Vance have the last word. “It’s the leverage part I worry about, Leon. Estes could disappear. He’s got the skills to go under somewhere we’d never find him. What makes this book of his so damn valuable? There has to be more there than the gospel according to bigotry and crazy. He knows what’s valuable to me. He knows where I live, and I don’t mean these four walls.”

Vance contemplated him quietly, speculatively. The man could be a little obtuse at times but Jethro was pretty sure he’d left the lines wide enough to read between. “I’ll do everything in my power to protect DiNozzo and the rest of your team, Jethro, I promise you, but I need you to promise me that you’ll tell me if you feel compromised in even the slightest way. Use that famous gut on yourself for once.”

There was no doubt in Gibbs’ mind now that Vance knew exactly what he meant and in that small moment he was grateful to Leon for being a friend as well as his supervisor. “Thank you, Leon.”

Without any other acknowledgement, Jethro turned quickly and made his way upstairs to gather a bag. The air on the second floor was cold and as he glanced at the fluttering curtains of his bedroom, his heart was cold as well. One lucky shot was all Estes needed and this could have been it. A few seconds, a few inches, a slight variation in the wind and he or DiNozzo might be on their way to the morgue with Barry and Edwards.

 If he could, he would encase Tony in bullet-proof glass or keep him locked in a cell at NCIS until Estes was in custody. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a realistic option and neither was staying attached to him 24/7. The well of panic that rose in his throat at the thought of anything happening to DiNozzo was both inconvenient and uncomfortable. Why in the hell did he have to pick the middle of the most dangerous case in recent memory to realize he was hopelessly fucking in love with the man? His timing never had been the best in the world and he had three ex-wives to prove it.

Leon wanted to know if he was compromised? Hell yes, he was compromised. But he would be damned if he would let it stop him from putting a bullet between Estes’s eyes if the opportunity presented itself.

He turned at the creak of a floorboard to find Tony contemplating him quietly from the doorframe.

“Where we headed?” he asked softly, sensing Jethro’s mood.

“Your place,” Gibbs answered gruffly.

“My…seriously?”

Jethro merely grunted in reply.

“So we’re really going to stand down, Gibbs?” he asked in disbelief, ignoring his better instincts which told him not to push.

“Vance said he didn’t want to see us at NCIS so we’re not going to _be_ at NCIS.” He looked up at Tony and smiled. “How’s your laptop working?”

“Workin’ just fine, Boss,” he beamed.

* * *

 

Former Marine Sargent Jonathan Estes paced calmly across the 12 x 12 cement slab of the storage unit that was his current residence. He’d slithered easily through the shoddily cast nets of the  Metro PD and the bumbling buffoons of NCIS and then slipped behind the wheel of a non-descript Ford Escort that no one was likely to notice missing until the morning. In this part of town, one more stolen care wasn’t going to add up to anything and even if it did, he would be long gone. He wasn’t giving up on his journal, far from it, but it was time to start the wheels turning on bigger and better things.

He turned to the weasel-faced man who hovered near the door to the storage unit. “You were able to bring everything I asked for?” It was only half a question. Gunnery Sargent Paul Loewe knew exactly what failure to follow orders meant where he was concerned.

Loewe tossed him a set of keys. “All in the car. It’s a rental nobody’s gonna come looking for.”

The man’s voice was like the whine of an out of tune string but thankfully, Estes wasn’t interested in him for his brilliant conversation. Loewe was a man who got things, valuable things, and in doing so made himself valuable. It didn’t hurt that he had a taste for certain, rather unsavory, extracurricular activities that involved carving knives and the sizzle of human flesh. Sadly, while he was creative, Loewe had no vision and would therefore never be more that a useful tool in his eyes. Today, he had proved very useful indeed.

“Don’t understand why you didn’t just kill the fucking faggots when you had a chance. Not like the world would miss one more pair of fairies,” Loewe mused.

Estes sighed. “No, I’m quite sure you don’t understand. You see, fear is, itself, a small death. Right now that fear is eating away at Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He’ll be looking over his shoulder every moment of every day, always waiting for that phone call, for the bullet in the dark.” He took a slow step toward Loewe, raising a fist and closing it as if he were squashing a toad. “I own him. Because I am the thing he fears and that makes me more powerful than a tiny mind like yours can ever imagine.”

Loewe blinked beneath the fluorescent light and recoiled very slightly from the menace behind Estes’ words.

“Good. I’m glad you understand fear, Paul,” he said in a sickeningly sweet tone, “because I want you to fear what I will do to you if you forget any part of the role you have to play.” He held Loewe’s eyes for a moment longer than necessary to emphasize his point and then raised the door of the unit and scrubbed the handle to wipe his prints. He took one last look at the neatly stacked crates of munitions that had been quietly accumulating there unnoticed for the better part of a year, allowed Loewe to exit and then quickly closed up the unit.

Yes, everyone had a role to play and it was nearly time for Leroy Jethro Gibbs and the rest of the world to learn the role Estes had been intended for.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has so many little gems. It's also SUPER long so I really hope you enjoy it! Lots of alternating back and forth between Gibbs/ Tony working on each other and Abby/ McGee working on the case. Also, this is pretty much the last serious smut you're gonna get in this fic so soak it up now ;) Thanks all for reading!

"What did he say  _exactly?_ " Tim asked as they climbed into the back of the car that would take him and Abby to his apartment. Two agents accompanied them and there would be two more checking the area before they were allowed to go home. Well, home for McGee at least.

Abby looked up toward the ceiling as if trying to recall the exact details of her conversation. "Tony said that Gibbs said that Vance said we were  _not_ to report back to NCIS until further notice. He also said that we were to stay together and not  _not_ follow up on anything related to the case. He also  _also_ said to call if any of the things we are not  _not_ following up on turn up anything significant," she recited, grinning expectantly at Tim when she had finished.

"Tony said that?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes."

"Exactly?"

"Sort of. I might have thrown an extra 'not' in there somewhere but you get the idea," she said proudly.

"And we were to stay together?"

"That was more implied," she hedged, see-sawing her fingers back and forth.

"Implied?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, he didn't say that Gibbs said we were  _not_  to stay together," she reassured him.

"I'm confused," Tim admitted.

"Me too, actually." Her forehead crinkled. "But given the events of the evening I think Gibbs would say we're safer together, don't you?"

"I guess so. Double the protective detail anyway." He shrugged. He wasn't really up to arguing with her logic at the moment.

Abby sensed his retreat back into the funk he had been in since his talk with Gibbs. He didn't seem angry so much as deeply thoughtful and more than a little worried and the combination of the two was unsettling. "Hey. It will all work out. You just have to have a little faith." She rested her hand gently on his arm.

"In what? Gibbs? Tony? After all this it's hard to believe that anything can ever be the same again," he said disconsolately.

"Have faith in love, McGee." There was the tiniest hint of an ache in her voice. "Maybe it won't be the same again but I've always found that love has a way of making things better in the end."

He seemed to take a moment to consider her words before an oddly wistful smile turned up the corners of his mouth. "Who would have thought? Gibbs and Tony of all people, falling in love after all these years. Right under our very noses?"

"Stranger things have been known to happen, Tim. I mean, not  _much_ stranger, but a little bit stranger." She squeezed his bicep affectionately and felt him relax slightly beneath her touch.

"How come you're so okay with all of this? Don't you feel like…like Gibbs somehow betrayed the entire team? I want to get past it but I don't know if I can," he admitted.

Abby shrugged. "I guess it just makes me happy to see the people I love happy. Tony's been miserable for years, at least on the inside, and Gibbs," she shook her head, "I don't think anyone's invented a word for what Gibbs has been for as long as I've known him. Don't you notice the way they look at each other now?"

"I was trying to ignore it," he grunted.

"I think it's kind of hot." Abby's face lit up.

"You would." Tim rolled his eyes but his voice betrayed his amusement.

"There he is." She smiled brightly. "There's the Tim McGee I…"

The car coming to an abrupt stop in front of Tim's apartment complex cut her off but he pressed her. "The me you what, Abbs?" he encouraged.

Abby didn't respond but the expression on her face as she leaned in to gently press a lingering kiss on his cheek gave him something totally new to be distracted by.

* * *

 

Tony fidgeted distractedly the entire ride to his apartment, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together in a deep-rooted and pacifying rhythm that countered the perpetual tapping of his foot. Half a dozen unnamed and unfocused things were crowding the edges of his brain. The worst part was that he knew for certain which one of them was currently setting him on edge and it was damn unnerving, not to mention more than a little inconvenient under the present circumstances.

There had been a moment. Before the bullet and before he'd drifted off to sleep in Gibbs' bed earlier, a moment when every ounce of him had well and truly known that he  _had_ Gibbs. That Jethro belonged to him now in ways both concrete and undefinable. Not just as his boss-friend-lover but in a more profound way that was somehow greater than the sum of all those roles. It was more powerful and yet more delicate than anything he had experienced in his lifetime and despite his longing to bask in the radiance of it, to savor the pure and perfect truth of it, it had sowed the quiet, insidious seeds of terror deep down in the places he didn't often let see the light of day. Why did his brain have to pick this moment to go into self-preservation mode?

Tony glanced over at Gibbs from beneath his lashes but the older man's face betrayed nothing like the unstoppable wave of dread that was beginning to gnaw at his own belly. How could he be so calm?

When Jethro gave him the death stare after his fingers had tapped non-stop against the door handle for the better part of two miles, he worked harder to keep his nerves under control, but by the time they arrived at his home Tony was quietly and expertly concealing a near panic attack.

His home.

Gibbs was in his home.

Whatever else was going on in his head at the moment, this was the encumbrance that had decided it needed the most urgent attention, the uneasy itch that was digging at the underside of his skin, begging to be scratched.

Of course Jethro had visited briefly in the past, but it always seemed they were visits of necessity not visits of leisure. As far back as Tony could remember their time together had always centered around Gibbs' home and the office, even over the last year when they had begun spending most of their free evenings in each other's company. Now, as they walked the short corridor to his entry, Tony felt as if he were trudging through thick sludge and he had to force his legs to keep pushing him forward, toward whatever was waiting for him on the other side.

They nodded gravely to the agents on duty as they passed. There wasn't one of them who was unaware that NCIS had just lost two good men on this very same detail and both he and Gibbs acknowledged the burden they were now bearing on their behalf.

Barely managing to keep his hand from shaking as he twisted the key in the lock, Tony pushed the reassuringly solid door open and allowed Gibbs to enter first, ushering him in with a somewhat awkward sweep of his arm that earned him a scrutinizing look from Jethro.

As they crossed the threshold, the things that had shifted so irrevocably in Tony's life over the last few days suddenly seemed real and tangible. The whispers of possibility took on weight and form, solidified and settled like a rock somewhere between his heart and his gut while his head spun slightly as he watched Jethro move through the space that had always belonged so exclusively to him.

Heavy curtains had been pulled over all the windows and the blinds closed, eliminating the natural light from the street that always filled the main living area, even at night. Unnerved by the shadows, Tony quickly flipped a switch by the door and the room was illuminated by soft, warm light from a series of floor lamps and alcove lighting. Closing the door firmly, he twisted the weighty dead bolt, effectively shutting out the world and leaving him alone with Jethro once again.

He quickly shucked off his coat and stood shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot as Gibbs slowly walked the perimeter of the room, seeing it through the eyes of a lover for the first time, of one who  _owned_ the owner of this space. Because as surely as he knew he  _had_  Gibbs, he also knew that Gibbs now possessed him utterly, possessed him and all the baggage that came in tow, and it was  _that_  thought that was scaring the ever living fuck out of him.

Tony knew his boss, knew that Jethro's critical eye was busily taking in the details of the room, assessing, weighing, judging. He realized he was unconsciously holding his breath when the older man paused in front of his piano to run a calloused palm across the polished wood in silent contemplation. He felt as if he himself were being reweighed and measured in the space of that moment, as if he were suddenly and unexpectedly more naked than naked, his insides exposed for Gibbs' dissection. Even though consciously Tony knew he had nothing to fear, his feet adamantly refused to move an inch further and he stood rooted to the spot unable to do anything more than wait for the inevitable.

When Jethro finally looked up at him it was with the slightly bewildered gaze of someone who believes they've solved a complex puzzle only to find that there are endless unseen layers beneath the first. He seemed unsurprised to find that Tony hadn't followed him into the room. "Hey," he called softly after a moment of deliberation, "this all okay with you?"

"You mean the fact that an egomaniacal killer just used us for target practice, that we've essentially been benched from hunting him down and have virtually no leads, the two men on their way to the morgue, or the fact that our sex life is a coffee break whisper away from being general knowledge around the Navy Yard?" he dodged, swallowing the little tickle of nervous or possibly hysterical laughter that threatened to slip out.

Jethro dropped his bag in the middle of the polished hardwood and moved closer to the younger man slowly and cautiously as if he were approaching a timid deer that might bolt at any second. "That really what's got you coming out of your skin all of a sudden?"

Tony shrugged it off. "That's not enough?" His hand reached up and smoothed his hair unconsciously.

"Maybe. Get the feeling that's not what's going on here." He stepped closer, toes to the bottom edge of the riser.

Muscles contracted, keeping Tony's right foot in place at the very last second as it lifted in retreat. Open and honest was against every instinct he had in this situation but the calm and patient blue of Jethro's steady stare slowly began to loosen the knot in his chest, to dull the sharp edge of panic and finally ease the words from his throat. "Never had anyone here that I…" he swallowed hard but the sentence would not complete itself. ”First time," he managed brokenly. His eyes suddenly tried to look into every corner of the room at once, anywhere but at Gibbs.

"DiNozzo." And then more softly, "Tony."

The near whisper of his name in Jethro's rich timbre drew him back, wide eyed and still aching to run.

"I can go." Gibbs let the words drop like lead into the space between them.

Pain. There was pain in those words. Pain from  _Gibbs_  and it broke through every wall that had been silently slamming into place since the car had pulled away from the curb and turned for his apartment.

"No." The single syllable was an act of defiance against his entire past. "Want you to stay. Need you to."

_Please don't let me screw this up,_ Tony prayed silently as he finally stepped down off the riser.

There was a heartbeat of uncertainty before Jethro's arms slid around him and pulled him into a warm embrace. Soft breath kissed the flesh just below his left ear in what could only be called a relieved sigh, calming him and making him wonder why he'd been at all nervous about this moment.

The blow to the back of his head should not have come as a shock but it was pleasantly juxtaposed against the warmth of Jethro's lips sliding along his jaw.

"Good," Gibbs whispered, moving his hands soothingly across the broad expanse of Tony's back.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there, wrapped in their own heads and each other, but eventually Tony felt his muscles relax as he gave in and sank into the reassuring circle of Jethro's arms, surprised at just how much tension he'd been holding. Tony wondered how long this urge to run had been building without him really even being aware of it. Suddenly, he felt absolutely exhausted as if the events of the last several days had settled onto him all at once.

"We done with this now?"

Gibbs' voice startled him from the half-trance he had been in. "Think so. Old habits," he sighed. "I'm sorry, Jethro."

"Any more old habits I should be ready for?" Gibbs chided softly.

"Not that I can think of right now," he said honestly.

"Okay then."

Those two simple words wrapped Tony in the warmth of Jethro's absolute acceptance of the man that he was, baggage and all.

"Guess I should put on a pot of coffee," he said, reluctantly relinquishing the solace he felt being pressed tightly to Jethro's body when he'd lost track of the minutes ticking by. Turning for the kitchen, Tony was unable to suppress a long yawn.

"No." Gibbs stopped him.

Tony turned back to him in surprise. "You're saying 'no' to coffee?"

"I'm saying 'yes' to sleep," he grunted. "Even I have to agree with Vance on that point. Abby and McGee will call if they get something and there's not much more we can do from here right now. Much as I hate the idea we need at least a few hours of downtime."

"Oh thank God." His eyes flickered longingly toward the bedroom, afraid that Gibbs would change his mind at any moment.

"See you got a bigger bed," Jethro observed, following his glance.

"Yeah. Kinda had to get rid of the last one. There was an incident." He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Decided a little more room couldn't hurt."

"Up for sharing?"

"Can't think of a better way to break in the other side," he smiled.

* * *

 

"Like the new set-up, Tim," Abby cooed as she stroked the side of one of the three plasma monitors that formed a semi-circle around McGee's desktop. "Should be more than enough space for both of us to work. I'm actually a little jealous right now. Please tell me you use this for more than streaming multiple porn sites at the same time," she mock-pouted.

"Think you have me confused with DiNozzo,"he laughed.

Abby cracked her knuckles and rolled a chair over from a desk on the other side of a bookshelf where Tim's typewriter sat in its place of honor. It looked woefully unused and she felt a pang of sadness for the fact that he had mostly given up writing soon after the incident with the crazy barista several years ago. "Let's get started."

"Without the journal I'm not sure how much we can do from here. I can keep up to date on the BOLO, monitor the activity from the search in Gibbs' neighborhood, but I really don't see how we can advance the investigation much," he said regretfully.

"Oh, we have access to the diary." She grinned.

"What? Abby, please tell me you did NOT illegally remove evidence from NCIS. It could compromise the entire investigation. Gibbs will…"

"RELAX, Timmy. I'm hurt. You know I would never remove evidence without permission." Abby looked slightly wounded.

"Then how?"

"I scanned it," she said with more than a hint of self-satisfaction. "All I have to do is log in and, voila! Instant evidence access. I put together a timeline of victims for Gibbs too. He wanted to run background on the first victim, find out how Estes got started."

McGee scooted in beside her and got all the towers warming up. "If you get me a name I can find out what she was being held for, maybe try to figure out how Langstaff and Estes got access in the first place. There aren't too many female detainees outside of Gitmo and access is pretty highly restricted. Something just doesn't add up. Maybe there's a connection between all the victims we just haven't seen yet. I can also check further into Langstaff and Estes. Backgrounds, fitness reports, look for any connection beyond what we already know. Maybe we can get some clue as to where he would hole up."

"I love it when we talk background checks, McGee." She grinned widely before turning to her terminal and getting started.

* * *

 

Tony was insanely happy to have the use of his own bathroom and toothbrush again. With all the bottoming he'd been doing there were certain parts of him that needed more attention than he could give them anywhere else. He knew this was a conversation he was going to have to have with his partner at some point soon. Maybe he could just find Gibbs a youtube video or something and avoid the more gritty realities. As a second thought he left a small, wrapped cleansing kit on the edge of the counter hoping he could answer a few questions before they were asked.

Jethro didn't say anything when he emerged from the ensuite a few minutes later and Tony decided to let it lie as long as he could. There were more important things on both of their minds at the moment, not the least of which was getting some well-earned shut eye.

As they quickly stripped off their clothes Tony hardly took his eyes off of Gibbs, still partly unable to believe that he was real and solid and standing naked in his bedroom. The dull thrum of arousal continued to beat in his veins at the sight of Jethro's firm ass and well-muscled shoulders but the need for sleep, especially in the comfort of his own bed, was far more urgent at the moment.

The groan that escaped his lips as he slid beneath the cool sheets and his well-loved mattress formed to the aching curve of his back bordered on obscene. Gibbs let out a soft laugh but emitted a similar sound of satisfaction when he joined him a moment later.

"What the hell is this thing? Feels like I'm sleeping on a sponge."

"Tempur-pedic," he was unable to stifle a yawn. "Best invention ever."

"'S comfortable," Gibbs admitted.

Tony hugged the edge of the bed uncertainly despite the recent pattern they had fallen into with sleeping arrangements but when a strong arm wrapped around his waist and tugged him closer possessively he didn't resist. Jethro nuzzled sleepily into the crook of his shoulder as his hand swept lightly over DiNozzo's stomach making his muscles flutter and jump.

Despite his exhaustion there was still something tickling irritatingly at the back of Tony's brain and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he put it out there. "When you said there would be changes, you meant leaving NCIS didn't you?" He let the words jump out without really thinking.

Gibbs' lips ceased their movement against his neck. "I meant stepping back at the very least, yes. Won't know exactly what that looks like until I talk to Vance but I know I can't work on the same team with you every day, DiNozzo, not like before. I'd be putting lives in danger if I did." His arm tightened around Tony's hip.

"I just wish there was any other way," he sighed.

"If I think of one, I'll let you know." He was quiet for a few minutes. "Been thinking about this a long time. Told you already it wasn't something I jumped into. I knew what my choices meant and I chose this. All of this." His nose traced the curve of Tony's ear. "Besides, not like you won't see me," he mumbled sleepily.

"What if I don't remember how to do this without you?" He ventured hesitantly. "Took me months to figure it out when you left 7 years ago and even then…"

Gibbs laughed softly and the feeling of the movement shaking them both sent a tiny thrill through Tony's body despite his exhaustion. "Tony, you haven't needed a team leader for the last five years. I rein you in, I keep you focused, but the truth is, half the time I hold you back and we both know it. Deep down you know you really stayed because  _I_ needed  _you_  and the sooner you admit that, the easier this is all going to be."

"Jethro, I…"

"Shh. Sleep," Gibbs' fingers traced tiny circles on his skin, soothing him into a deeply relaxed state.

"I stayed because I loved you," Tony whispered from the edge of sleep.

"I know. And I let you stay because I loved you. Just took me awhile to catch up and figure out what the hell to do about it."

The world lifted from their shoulders briefly and they finally drifted off.

* * *

 

"Woah," Tim breathed, leaning back in his chair.

"What?" Abby leaned in.

"Our first victim, Komol Luna, was a Pakistani physician actually educated in the US. She relocated to Lebanon in 2007 where it's suspected she became involved with Hezbollah after her brother was killed in an American missile strike on a compound in Afghanistan. Says she was wanted in connection with several car bombings as well as the bombing of a night club in 2008 and suspected to be aiding the Hezbollah leadership through her contacts and affiliations back in Pakistan. She was arrested at the border when she tried to enter Afghanistan sometime in 2011. There are so many classified files on her I don't even know where to start. According to the records I can find she was held for over two years before her alleged suicide which occurred…" he checked the monitor to his far left, "less than 2 months after Estes' unit arrived at the detention facility."

"So this woman was bad news?" Abby reached over him and scrolled down the page.

"Very bad news. The CIA would have been all over her for information if they thought her ties to Hezbollah ran as deep as they seem to. What in the world was a low-grade officer like Estes doing with access to someone like her?"

"That's what we're going to find out, right?"

"That's what I'm going to try to find out, but Abbs, these files are way above my clearance level. No way I can do this without going through Vance." He was tempted. He could hack the files. The challenge was there but without Gibbs or someone else to give the push, he was unwilling to take the leap. "What did you pull up on Estes' fitness reports?" he decided to change tracks.

"Oh! Okay, this is really weird. So I was able to pull up a report from 2010. Look at this." She brought the file up on the screen to her right.

Tim studied the monitor for a few minutes. "That looks pretty standard. A few scores left of center but nothing unusual, even his psych profile notes don't seem to indicate anything at all deviant or out of the ordinary."

"I  _know,_ " she said cryptically, "now look at this one from 2011, and this one from August 2012, right before they shipped out for their tour in Afghanistan." She brought the two reports up alongside the first."

"Those are the exact same reports. Word for word!"

"Exactly. So, the question is…"

"Where are the real reports?" McGee interrupted.

" _Are_  there real reports?" she countered.

"And either way, why would someone go to the trouble of replacing them in the file to begin with?"

"That is the question," she confirmed.

"A really good question."

"And a really good reason to keep digging." She wiggled her fingers over her keyboard.

McGee thought for a moment. "Can you track down who would have been responsible for completing the reports in 2011 and 2012? Check the rest of the reports for that unit?"

"With my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back," she scoffed.

"Both hands, Abbs. Cover your tracks and cover them well. If this is as big as I'm starting to think it is people aren't going to like us digging into these files. We don't need more enemies right now," he said soberly.

Her eyes widened a little at the seriousness of his tone. "Got it. Should we call Gibbs?"

"Soon. Still too many unanswered questions and no direction to go in. I want something concrete to take to him." There was more to it but he didn't know how to explain it further.

Abby's eyes softened in understanding and she nodded. "You're a good agent, Tim McGee."

* * *

 

Jethro woke to the silence of an unfamiliar space. The well-known creaks and groans of his house were wholly absent and the mattress beneath him was much softer than the cushions of his couch on which he still spent more nights than he would willingly admit to. He wasn't sure how long he had slept but it couldn't have been very long. The light beginning to filter through around the bottom of the curtains was still the deep muted blue of early dawn.

The pillow beneath his head was soft and covered in Tony's comfortingly familiar scent but the bed beside him was empty.

Stretching and scrubbing a hand through his hair, he slipped silently from beneath the silken sheets, grabbed his boxers from the pile of clothes beside the bed, and padded quietly through the bedroom toward the only dim source of light he could perceive from inside the apartment.

When he tugged gently on the French doors that separated Tony's bedroom from the main living area, they opened to frame a scene that wrenched at his heart in ways he didn't possess the vocabulary to describe.

Tony sat at the bench of the piano wrapped in the thick blue robe he had seen hanging in the bathroom earlier. It gaped at his waist showing that, like Gibbs, he was clad in no more than boxers beneath the soft terrycloth. A small lamp attached to the top of the instrument cast delicate shadows around the room and illuminated only the area directly around Tony. His fingers hovered just above the shining black and white keys, playing across them in a series of intricate weaves and patterns while Tony swayed back and forth as if under some unseen spell. A large set of headphones covered his ears and if any sound was coming from them, none escaped to be heard beyond the privacy of Tony's head.

Gibbs approached slowly, both mesmerized by the scene and hesitant to disrupt it. If Dinozzo was aware of his presence he gave no indication and he jumped when Jethro placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"How long have you been there?" Tony said, nearly shouting.

Gibbs tapped the side of his head and DiNozzo pulled the earphones off with an apologetic wince.

"Sorry, Gibbs. I kinda forget that I have them on sometimes."

"S'okay. What are you doing up?" he asked. Tony made room for him on the bench beside him and Gibbs placed one leg on each side, straddling the end.

"Woke up about an hour ago and couldn't turn my brain back off. Just too worked up, I guess."

"And this?" He mimicked the movements of Tony's fingers across the keys.

"Helps me sleep sometimes. Playing along with a little Miles Davis is better than warm milk or a shot of Jack most of the time as far as I'm concerned. I didn't want to wake you." He gestured to the headphones.

"Was it working?" Gibbs pushed the robe aside and rested his palm on the bare skin of Tony's thigh. He could feel the coiled tension in the younger man's muscles as he began to rub slow circles against his flesh.

"Mmm…not as well as that." He widened his knees a little more, giving Jethro room.

Gibbs kept up the motion of his right hand and used the left to tug the robe from Tony's shoulders and down his arms, letting the top of it fall loosely to the floor behind them. Jethro could have spent a quiet year or two contemplating the exquisite expanse of Tony's beautiful back but he was suddenly aching to touch. Pressing his fingers to the base of the younger man's spine and sweeping upward, he moved his palm in a slowly widening his arc until he traced a path across his shoulders and down each flank in an ever expanding figure 8 pattern.

"Feels so good," Tony sighed, pressing back into the support of Jethro's hand to deepen the pressure slightly.

Tony's breath caught as Gibbs' fingers slipped beneath the edge of his boxers and crept just slightly closer to the apex of his thighs. He could already see that Tony was hard, the tip of his cock having pushed out of the flap in his cotton boxers. His own dick was stirring slightly in response to some of Tony's guttural groans but he thought it more likely a memory than a promise at this point.

He felt the younger man's muscles relaxing beneath his touch but Tony's breathing only became shallower and more rapid, his skin more heated and flushed with awakening arousal. Gibbs wanted more of the younger man's body, wanted free access to explore.

Without warning, Jethro rose quickly, laughing at the tiny whine of disappointment as he pulled his hands away. Tony tried to follow but he placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder and encouraged him to stay where he was.

"Turn this way and lie back." He prompted Tony to sit sideways on the bench as he had done and then tugged his hips so there was enough room for him to lie down. The robe beneath him acted as a cushion against the wood and allowed him to slide easily along the polished surface.

"This is very 'Pretty Woman' of you, Jethro," Tony quipped as he bent his arm and placed a hand behind his head for support.

"Don't remember this in the song," Gibbs looked up as he stooped and pulled Tony's boxers down over his long legs, tossing them carelessly to the side.

"No, not the…never mind. I like it. You just…you surprise me sometimes, Gibbs."

From the undisguised hunger in Tony's voice, there was no question that this was a good thing as far as he was concerned.

Jethro licked his lips as he took in the length of Tony's body stretched along the bench. Smooth muscle met softly rounded edges in appealing places and the angle of the light created interesting shadows and glinted off the moisture at the tip of his weeping cock. He leaned in and traced a tentative finger up the pulsing vein that marked Tony's length. Grey-green eyes fluttered closed when Gibbs began teasing at his head, circling the sensitive ridge.

"Top drawer next to the bed," Tony managed breathlessly, wincing slightly when Jethro closed his fist and made a preliminary stroke.

Jethro understood immediately. His own dick was feeling a little punished by all the use it was getting and he should have realized Tony was feeling the same.

Nodding, he made his way back to the bedroom and found the drawer in the near darkness. He flipped on the bedside lamp for just a moment and squinted against the harsh glare, pawing toward the back of the drawer until his fingers closed on a small tube. There were several other things in the drawer as well and he smiled with wicked curiosity as he selected a short, curved vibrator with an odd flat base he hadn't seen on a sex toy before. At his age, he was no stranger to motorized equipment in the bedroom but he'd never seen anything designed specifically for a man.

Quickly switching off the light, he waited a few seconds for his eyes to adjust and then stepped back into the living room. Tony looked like he had been ripped from the canvas of a strikingly sensual portrait. Lying wantonly spread-eagle on the dark bench, ring of light framing the space around him as his fingers lightly traced his cock in long, lingering arcs, he was absolutely stunning and Jethro was forced to swallow the slowly rising lump in his throat. How had he ever worried for one second that he wouldn't be sexually attracted to this man?

The way Tony watched ravenously as he approached sent a chill up his spine and a strong pulse to his cock. He still doubted he was up for another round without some serious refueling but his dick was doing it's damnest to prove him wrong. He concealed the vibrator in his hand with the aid of his wrist and stooped to set it and the lube on the floor beside the bench, out of Tony's sight.

"Hey," he whispered, shucking his boxers over his hips before he placed his palms beneath Tony's knees and slid onto the bench between his legs, sitting upright and draping one heavily muscled thigh over each of his own.

"Hey," Tony echoed, tucking his hands into the small of his back and resting his weight on them, almost as if he was bound.

Jethro's cock twitched at the display of trust. Tony was completely open before him, spread wide, utterly and deliciously vulnerable and his entire body was twitching with the need to touch him, to explore and mark every inch of the flesh his lover offered so freely.

Surprised to find that his hands were shaking slightly, he pressed them flat to the cut of Tony's hips and closed his eyes, tuning into the feeling of muscles bunching and shifting beneath his fingertips as Tony drew a broken breath and arched into his touch.

"Relax," Gibbs breathed, drawing out the word on his tongue. Sliding his palms to cup Tony's waist, he let his thumbs ghost over the outline of each one of the younger man's ribs as he pushed up along his flanks. He was still getting accustomed to feeling chest hair while making love but he exalted in these silken expanses of the skin beneath his fingertips, curling in just slightly to graze Tony with his nails.

When he reached the lightly pebbled skin of DiNozzo's nipples he rubbed slow circles in tandem, rasping the ridged pad of his thumb over sensitive flesh until it peaked beneath his touch and Tony bit off a strangled moan.

Jethro marveled at the responsiveness of Tony's body, delighting in every quiver, every tremor of muscle and sinew. Gibbs was a man who experienced life through his hands, a tactile thrill seeker who savored each texture, every tickle along his nerve fibers. The materials he usually used to sate his sensory demands were lifeless, passive, but the flesh now beneath his palms was unquestionably alive, pulsing with energy that travelled up through his fingertips to feed his mounting desire. His cock was rock hard now, throbbing as each delicious sensation swept through him, ravaged his senses like nothing he could remember.

He let his fingers dance across his lover's skin relentlessly, memorized each peak of bone, every heated valley, slope, and plain, learned the places that made Tony gasp and squirm and  _beg_. His thumbs lovingly traced the cut of the younger man's jaw, lingered at the hammering pulse point below it, swept fleetingly over the hollow of his throat, the arc of his clavicle as Tony bucked and quivered, his senses reaching overload.

Stunned at just how turned on he was by the sheer eroticism of the moment, Jethro finally brought his hands back to Tony's belly, let his fingers slip through the gossamer strands that trailed from the tip of his cock before he reached down to pick up the items he had retrieved from the bedroom earlier.

"Jethro," Tony's voice was thick, awed, desperate, overflowing with all the all of the passion he had no voice for.

Placing the lube and vibrator in the small space between their bodies on the bench, Gibbs arced forward, brought his lips to the tiny hollow of Tony's sternum and opened his mouth against heated skin, worshiping the body beneath him as he traced a long slow arc across Tony’s ribs with his tongue.

"Tastes like…mine," he breathed, holding tight as the younger man's entire body trembled violently at his words.

With a last lingering lap at Tony's flesh, he sat up, his breath catching at the sight of moisture leaking from beneath long lashes.

"You okay?" he asked gently, afraid he may have pushed too far.

Tony's Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, working moisture back into his mouth. "Please don't stop," he begged, his voice a stripped rasp of emotion. "Never had anyone…not like this." The muscles in his thighs tightened, trying to bring him closer to Gibbs' body.

"Thought we might try this," Gibbs held the vibrator where Tony could see it, saw the younger man's damp eyes widen in surprise.

Tony nodded mutely, licking his lips in anticipation as Jethro fumbled slightly with the bottle in his other hand.

The vibrator had a cord which led to a control with a small dial. Gibbs wasn't unfamiliar with the mechanics of such things and he quickly used his thumb to turn it to a low setting, savoring the pleasant hum of the toy in his palm. Slicking the fingers of one hand, he reached down and teased at Tony's hole while he slid the vibrator across his balls and up the shaft of his cock.

"Oh  _fuck_ ," Tony swore as his whole body tried to come up off the bench when Jethro slipped the tip of one finger inside of him.

Moving in and out teasingly, Gibbs ran the toy up and down the length of Tony's dick in agonizingly slow motions, alternately tantalizing the underside of his head and pressing it hard against the wide, sensitive base in rough circles. Tony finally freed his hands from the small of his back and clasped Jethro's thighs, digging flat nails into his skin convulsively.

The younger man was reduced to whimpers and needy, plaintive moans when he dipped the vibrator beneath the thin skin of his balls, pushing up into the bundle of nerves there before moving it down to his slicked-up hole.

"This feel good?" Jethro murmured hotly, pressing the vibrating core of the toy against Tony's hungry opening. "Want it inside you? Want me to fuck you with it?" He didn't know where the words were coming from. He wasn't one for dirty talk but he was so lost in Tony, so caught up in his own carnality that they flowed from his lips without conscious thought.

The mute nod of the younger man's head was the only response forthcoming but at this point he didn't really need an answer. Turning off the vibration for a minute, he focused on Tony's face as he pushed the shaft of it into his body. The tight mix of pain and hedonistic desire playing across the younger man's features had his own cock weeping, thick beads trickling down to tickle his balls and hover maddeningly in cooling drops around his taint.

Tony's body shook when the tip of the vibrator reached his prostate. The wide base of it was pressed flat against his hole now and Jethro gripped it by the thick ring on its underside, pushing it in and out with fluid, twisting arcs of his wrist that grazed his own cock as well. His thumb flicked the control wheel hard on his next thrust, sending a crushing jolt of sensation through DiNozzo's body and ripping a guttural cry from his lips.

The younger man's hand flew to the base of his cock and he tightened his fingers quick and hard, choking off the orgasm that was a breath away from being totally beyond his control.

Gibbs read the signs, flicked off the vibrator again until Tony's muscles relaxed a little and his breathing became more regular. Eventually, DiNozzo's eyes fluttered open and he gave a weak nod, letting Jethro know it was okay to continue.

Restraint was something he had very little left of at the moment but he used every ounce he could muster to turn the dial slowly now, ratcheting up the speed of the vibrator little by little as he worked it in and out of Tony's body.

The build was fast this time. DiNozzo's throaty moans rapidly became more desperate, more regular and Jethro finally put a hand to his own cock feeling the surprisingly eager need for his own release building swiftly.

"Need you," Tony panted helplessly, totally caught up in his own ecstasy as Gibbs fucked him mercilessly with the vibrator. " _ohshit-ohplease-Jethro-please-please-fuck!_ " he cried, pushing into each stroke.

With a strangled and desperate growl, Jethro tore the toy from Tony's body, tossed it somewhere in the room where it continued to hum over the pounding of blood in his ears. Hands shaking, muscles twisting, he pulled hard at Tony's hips until his ass was pretty much in his lap and then fitted the tip of his straining cock to his still open hole, pushing in as far as he could in one smooth stroke that nearly shattered him.

The angle was awkward but Tony clutched at his forearms and they wrapped themselves around each other, driving, wrenching, straining. A few frantic and violent thrusts and he was there, poised on the brink, desperate to taste the release he'd thought impossible only a short while ago. Tony twisted against him, fucked himself further onto Jethro's cock as Gibbs' balls tightened impossibly. He wanted to scream, to curse, to howl, but there was suddenly no air, no breath as crushing heat tightened around him in a death grip.

The younger man's cry as he came was a wretchedly beautiful and broken thing, half-anguish and half-ecstasy. It sang in his ears and made his blood boil hotter, but Jethro's reckless fascination with it was short lived as the contractions around his cock set off his own intensely sharp and powerful orgasm and he was lost to the surge of it, pulled under by the overpowering tide as he came in series of shuddering brutal thrusts accompanied by crude animal grunts that erupted from someplace deep inside him. He was powerless against his body's primal response until need released its hold on him and he slumped forward, utterly spent and boneless. One of Tony's hands came up and stroked limply through his hair, settled briefly on the back of his neck before sliding down lifelessly.

Jethro gradually became aware of Tony's continued shudders as he softened and slipped from his body with a wince. The seat was now digging painfully into his thighs, probably had been for some time though it had been beyond the scope of his senses, and the vibrator continued to hum happily in some distant corner of the living room. He put a hand to Tony's ribs, stroking soothingly. The younger man's stomach and chest were a mess, covered in thick pools of cum and some of it had even run down his sides.

"Gonna get up now, okay? Clean you up," he said softly. Tony had draped his arm across his eyes, shielding them from the light which was just too much to bear in his heightened state of sensation, but he nodded mutely, lifting his legs slightly so Gibbs could slide out from under him.

Jethro's own legs were more than a little rubbery and he took a moment to make sure they would support him before leaning over to turn off the light on the piano. There was enough dim light coming in under the curtains and blinds to make navigating the apartment possible and he made a quick grab for the vibrator, turning it off and tossing it onto a shelf as he made his way to the bathroom.

He made short work of finding a washcloth and returning to Tony. Taking care in cleaning him up as gently as he could, avoiding more sensitive areas. Tony was breathing evenly now, coming down. "Okay now?" he asked.

DiNozzo cleared his throat before answering. "Okay," he confirmed. "Better than okay. Just need a minute." He brought his hand down, rested it on Gibb's forearm reassuringly a moment before finally sitting up.

A few moments and a few shaky steps later and they were back in bed. Gibbs pulled the younger man closer and felt him tremble with tiny aftershocks. "Think you can sleep now?" Jethro mumbled close to his ear.

"Sleep? I was actually considering a light coma," Tony sighed, pushing back into him a bit.

Gibbs glanced at the bedside clock. "You've got about 3 hours."

"Got it, Boss," He yawned, ignoring Jethro's rule about keeping the 'Boss' out of the bedroom.

The moment needed something. Something he wasn't sure he could find words for. "Tony…" he started, throat choking off the rest of the sentence.

"Me too, Jethro."

Tony saved him, placed a hand lightly over his and curled his fingers around Jethro's own. He lingered on the edge of consciousness until the younger man's breathing became deep and even and drifted into a dreamless sleep with the scent of Tony filling his head.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that everyone has to wait for this one. I've got another chapter in editing right now so thought it was time to let you have this one. I'm so close to the end of this story but wrapping it up has been the most challenging thing I've ever done creatively. Thanks for sticking around. I'll try not to disappoint you!

****

Leon Vance liked to be the first one in the office. Well, the first of those who hadn’t been working through the night on foreign ops, anyway. On most days he arrived before his assistant and accomplished more before everyone else had their first cup of coffee than most people did all day-or whatever the saying was.

What he didn’t like was being the first one in the office because the previous day had never really ended. But even on those days he usually had a few minutes to get his head together before the world started tilting on its axis again.  This morning, however, as he pushed open the heavy steel doors to his inner sanctum, he was immediately aware that he was not alone.

“To what do I owe the pleasure so early in the morning, Mr. Secretary?” Jarvis setting foot in NCIS was seldom a good thing, but a visit before 7am had Leon’s stomach sinking through the floor and his blood pressure rising through the roof.

“I rarely get called out of bed at 4am for pleasure, Leon and unfortunately, this morning is no exception,” he said gravely.

“We’ve got all hands on deck as it is with this Estes case, Clay. I hope this isn’t something new.” He nodded toward the thin manila folder beneath Jarvis’s palm.

“I think I’ve got something that’s going to speed things up a little on that point, but I need to make sure the room is secure first.”

Vance walked over to his desk, set down his coffee regretfully and flipped the switch that would scramble any listening device that might happen to be within earshot. “Go,” he said, suddenly intently focused.

“For the last year, the CIA, ATF, and FBI have been working a joint op monitoring Jacques Lemieux, a small time arms dealer running munitions across the Canadian border into the US. Most of the deals are nothing terribly unusual, but they’ve been watching one repeat customer closely, a Marine Sargent by the name of Loewe who works in the procurement office at Quantico. For approximately 10 months Loewe has been quietly stockpiling a small arsenal one piece at a time right here in the DC area.” Jarvis slid a photo of a storage facility across the table to him.

“Why is this the first I’m hearing of this?” Vance raised an eyebrow at Jarvis, hackles coming up a little at the fact that the entire alphabet had been in on something that clearly crossed into NCIS jurisdiction and yet he hadn’t even gotten so much as a hint of it. Being left out of the loop was not something that sat easy with him.

“Loewe isn’t the kind of man with a plan. They could have brought him up on charges immediately but everyone was pretty sure he was just a runner for a bigger fish because of his connections to procurement. They’ve been running 24 hour surveillance on the storage facility and on Loewe for months, waiting for him to lead them to his handler. Last night they found something interesting.” He pulled another photo from the folder and handed it to Vance, waiting quietly for his reaction.

“We’re not done with the fact that I was kept in the dark on this until now, Mr. Secretary.” Leon kept his tone respectful but just barely.

“This is more important than your ego Leon.” Jarvis gestured again to the photo which Vance had yet to even look at.  

Leon looked at the 8x10 in his hand. “I’ll be damned,” he sucked in a breath at the very clear image of Jonathan Estes stepping out from under a storage door.

“Loewe cleaned out the storage garage and handed off a rental car to Estes which we’ve been tracking though the car's GPS system for the last few hours. The driver assistance system was disabled so he appears to be trying to cover his tracks, but the rental company has a backup that’s not accessible to the driver and used for emergency vehicle recovery. Estes likely thinks he’s flying below the radar right now but everyone’s keeping their distance and letting it play out. We’re pretty sure he’s headed here.” He passed over a satellite photo overlaid with GPS coordinates.

“What is this?”

“A piece of land Estes inherited from an uncle a few years back. His present route will land him there in less than an hour. FBI is assembling agents and we’re monitoring the area through satellite and drone surveillance.”

“The FBI didn’t put together this information in the last few hours.” It wasn’t a question. “What aren’t you telling me? FBI? CIA? I’ve got agents breathing hard down the neck of something much bigger in Afghanistan and this whole thing stinks to high heaven, Mr. Secretary. What do I need to know?”

“Call them off the prisoner deaths, Leon. Do it now before Agent McGee and Ms. Scuito land themselves in the middle of something even I won’t be able to help them out of.” His tone wasn’t threatening but carried a warning nonetheless.

“He killed at least 6 women, Mr. Secretary. Now he’s killed two Marines and two civilians, so I repeat: What do I need to know?”

“It was sanctioned, Leon.”

“Excuse me?”

“The deaths in Afghanistan were sanctioned.”

“By whom?”

“By people whose orders I don’t have the authority to question, Leon. I’m sorry. I’m not at liberty to divulge more than that.”

“All due respect, Mr. Secretary, but I’m going to _need_ more than that. Why Estes?” Vance really wanted to sit down. Suddenly the room seemed very small and the weight on his shoulders far too heavy.

“From what I’ve been told, Estes’ fitness tests showed that he fit a certain profile. He was hand-picked and groomed by the CIA functioning under an executive order to extract vital information from prisoners when his unit was stationed there to provide security.”

“He was trained to torture and kill those women and someone ordered him to do it,” Vance nearly spat.  This was one of those days where he really didn’t want to know the things he knew about his country.

“No,” Jarvis said vehemently. “The CIA had received intel that a group of Hezbollah operatives, in this case, a very select group of women, were working inside Al-Qaida. During a raid on an Afghani village, a black ops team stormed an Al-Qaida training facility. They apprehended several of these women and were holding them in a secured detention center outside of Kabul. The CIA saw an opportunity to prove once and for all that there is a link between the two groups but they also wanted plausible deniability of their involvement. They knew what Estes was, kept it out of his official records and used him as a shield. If anyone got suspicious all they had to do was point the finger at another soldier who cracked under the pressure of combat.”

“So what? Send in the guy with a penchant for torture and a mission to purify the human race and turn a blind eye while he quietly rapes and murders six women? Because after what you’ve just told me I’m not really buying the reports of suicide.”

Jarvis shook his head. “Those aren’t details that I have knowledge of, Leon, and frankly, I’d rather stay in the dark. Estes was never supposed to take things as far as he did. His handlers lost control of him and found him far more influential among other members of his unit than they had expected. They underestimated him.”

“You sound like you’re making excuses for this, Clay. They tried to put a dog collar on a cobra and they’re surprised it turned around and bit them in the ass? You can’t put a harness on a psychopath.” Leon was so disgusted he didn’t even care who he was talking to. The worst they could do was fire him and the thought wasn’t starting to sound so bad.

“You’re not wrong Leon, but let’s work on fixing what we can fix right now. Obviously every single agency involved has a vested interest in bringing Estes in without further incident. I don’t have to tell you the kind of international disaster this would cause if anyone in the public caught wind of where this started and began to connect the dots.” He kept his eyes steadily on Vance.

“No. You don’t. But don’t tell me there isn’t a part of you that thinks someone should be headed to The Hague for this.” Leon didn’t blink.

Jarvis didn’t answer but his momentary silence spoke volumes. “Right now we can still play all of these events stateside off in the media as a severe case of PTSD. Not exactly the kind of publicity we want but certainly far better than the alternative. We can’t risk Estes thinking he can find some kind of a cult following by going to the press.”

“What exactly did you have in mind?” Vance looked at him skeptically. Gibbs wasn’t the only one with a gut that told him a shit storm was on the way.

“I’ve been instructed to have you gather two of your best teams in the next few hours to head to Estes’ likely destination. We’ll helo you in several miles out and have vehicles waiting to take you near the property. By the time everyone’s assembled, FBI should have some satellite feed and recon available to brief you.”

Vance gave a half laugh. “Who the hell convinced the FBI to back off of this? Sounds like something they’d love to screw up themselves.”

“As I said, right now this is an internal problem. The truth is, NCIS is lower profile. The minute the FBI becomes actively engaged, people are going to start asking a hell of a lot more questions. That being said, given what we know of Estes so far, it’s clear his intentions and issues go far beyond a couple of gay Marines. He’s got an agenda he’s been working for a long time and he’s got a God complex. That’s a deadly combination.  Your teams have 24 hours to bring him in or bring him down. If they’re unsuccessful or if he slips through the net somehow, I’ve been assured that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure the safety of the public, up to and including a full court press by the FBI.”

They stared at each other in silence for a moment. “I’ll begin assembling my teams,” Vance said finally, moving toward his desk. “You know I’m putting Gibbs in the lead on this, right?”

Jarvis nodded. “I’d expect nothing less.”

* * *

 

Tony stretched, luxuriating in the feel of cool, crisp cotton against his naked skin and the warmth of Jethro’s scent filling his nose. He was sore in more places than he could count-a few of which brought a pleased grin to his face and a faint blush to his cheeks- but there was no denying that even a few hours of solid sleep in a comfortable bed had done him a world of good.

“Morning.” The sleep-rough rumble of Gibbs’ voice greeted him.

“Mmm…already? Was hoping that was just streetlight coming in the window.” Tony reached for the clock on the bedside table. “6:15. We can sleep in a little, right?” He knew now that his brain was beginning to wake up, there would likely be no putting it back to bed, but the simple act of lying beneath the covers for another hour snuggled into the crook of Gibbs’ arm seemed like an act of the most blissful defiance.

“Could,” Jethro said. His hand roaming Tony’s backside spoke volumes on its own. “But you know we won’t.” There was less flirtatious-Jethro and more work-Gibbs in that statement.

“You’re such a slave-driver,” Tony whined, nuzzling against Jethro’s collar bone.

“Only when there’s a bad guy out there trying to kill people.” Gibbs pressed his lips to Tony’s forehead and ruffled his hair with the tip of his nose.

Suddenly wide awake, Tony levered himself up quickly, landing with one knee on either side of Gibbs’ hips and pressing his arms down into the mattress. There was no doubt in Tony’s mind that Gibbs could, and probably would, flip them both over in an instant if he had half a mind to. Instead, he found alert blue eyes staring at him calmly from a few inches away. “What if I just kept you prisoner in my bed all day? Refused to let you out except to hydrate and…unhydrate. And get some coffee, of course. Jonathan Estes and the rest of the world be damned.”

Jethro didn’t blink or give any other sign of discomfort at the fact that Tony’s slightly larger and very naked body was effectively caging him in. “Okay.” The two syllables sounded almost like a dare.

Tony was so taken off guard by the submission that he nearly pulled back. Instead, he decided to press his luck, knowing that Jethro would give him a very clear indication if he crossed the line. Lifting one knee, he slipped it between Jethro’s thighs and pushed them apart. When Gibbs gave no resistance, Tony moved his other knee and slowly, carefully fitted himself to the heavenly space between Jethro’s spread legs. His body had been so thoroughly sated that he hadn’t even woke with a morning erection, but his cock was definitely interested now, and the graze of his head against the underside of Gibbs’ balls sent a shiver up his spine.

Gibbs’ eyes didn’t leave Tony’s as he leaned down, pressing more and more of his weight onto Jethro’s chest and hips. Finally coming to rest on his elbows, he let his fingers stray into the silver of Gibbs’ hair, weaving in and out among the soft strands. Tony stretched out his long legs so that their bodies were completely molded together, their mouths only inches apart.

“What?” Gibbs rolled his head to the side and looked up at Tony who was watching him with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Just kind of like the view from up here.” His thumb traced Gibbs’ eyebrow. “You surprise me, Jethro. I didn’t expect that.”

“Yeah?” Jethro shifted, slowly drawing his knees up and out before settling his heels on the backs of Tony’s calves.

Tony’s head dropped into the space between Gibbs’ neck and shoulder, muffling his drawn out groan. “Oh, yeah,” he whispered against Jethro’s pulse, sucking hard at the column of his throat.

Jethro’s cock had thickened against Tony’s thigh and he could feel moisture on his skin. Tony began to move slowly, rocking his hips in short thrusts that didn’t give him half of the contact he wanted.

Gibbs’ hands came up to Tony’s shoulders, clutching and kneading, still clearly uncertain what to do in this turning of the tables he was allowing. Fearful that he was moving too quickly through uncharted waters, Tony stilled and pulled back, gauging Jethro’s reaction. But the blown pupils and lust-dark eyes gazing up at him spoke not of nerves, but arousal, and Tony was surprised by Jethro’s unguarded noise of disappointment and the needy twist of his hips.

“Jesus, are we really gonna do this, Jethro?” Tony ground their bodies together hard, extending a knee beneath Gibbs’ thigh to lift it higher and let his cock press right up against his tight hole.

“Haven’t stopped you, have I?” Gibbs pulled Tony’s mouth down for a brutal kiss that said even though he was pressed hard beneath Tony’s weight, he knew that he retained complete control.

“You sure?” Tony mouthed breathlessly against Jethro’s lips. He thrust hard again, not seeking entrance but giving Gibbs a taste of what he seemed to be asking for. “Sure that it’s what you want?” The last thing he wanted to do right now was give the other man an out, but he also understood the significance of what was being offered. He would not take it unless he knew it was being offered freely out of desire and not accepted out of some odd sense of obligation or a desire to please _him_. There was a clear difference between the two in Tony’s mind and in his heart.

“No. I’m really not sure,” Jethro admitted, still nipping lightly at Tony’s lips.  “But there were a lot of other things I wasn’t sure of a week ago and look how that turned out. Believe me, you’ll be the first to know if I decide to change my mind somewhere in the middle.” He hesitated a moment. “I trust you.” The last three words carried a weight far greater than their brevity accounted for.

Satisfied and more than a little stunned, Tony brought their lips back together, taking charge of the kiss this time but still responding to Jethro’s cues. He kept their bodies moving, the friction of flesh on flesh sending a flush washing over his skin. When Gibbs began to grunt with the rhythm of his light thrusts and press his hips up for more contact, Tony reached blindly over their heads to the drawer of the side table and pulled out a small tube, clutching it in his palm.

Squirming his way down Jethro’s upper body, Tony nipped at the ridge of his collar bone, mouthed filthy promises into the hollow of his throat, and suckled at the nubs of flat nipples until Jethro’s fingers fisted in his hair and pushed him lower.

Never lifting his mouth from Jethro’s flesh, Tony flipped the cap on the bottle and squeezed a slippery smear onto his middle and index fingers before sliding them carefully between their bodies. His teeth grazed Jethro’s hip bone as he pushed one knee up and back with his free hand, giving him more space to work with.

Gibbs tensed when Tony pressed slick fingers to his hole but relaxed again when they merely stroked back and forth, teasing rather than immediately ramming inside of him.

“Relax, Jethro. I know what I’m doing. It won’t happen all at once.” Tony rested his chin just above Gibbs’ pubic bone and looked up his body, waiting for an acknowledging nod before turning his face downward to press a string of kisses over Jethro’s flat and quivering belly. Tony’s finger s circled and caressed even as he shifted further downward, pressing his lips to the softness of Gibbs’ inner thigh and finally pulling the head of his cock between his lips.

Jethro seemed quieter than usual, giving little gasps when Tony hit a particularly sensitive spot with his fingers or flicked his tongue just right, but otherwise staying silent. Tony’s throat, on the other hand, was full of all the words that were just aching to be set free. He was pretty sure he could write a sonnet or two about how badly he wanted to feel himself pulled and held and embraced by Jethro’s body, of how salty-bitter-sweet the drops trickling over his tongue tasted, or how he was scared to fucking death by the thought that he would _never_ get enough of this. And if Jethro’s silence was half as loud as his own, God help them both.

Tony was jolted from his thoughts when Gibbs started pressing up into his mouth with each downward stroke and lap of his tongue, grabbing alternate handfuls of hair and sheet. Exerting pressure with his whole hand, Tony finally forced his finger past tight muscle. They’d gone down this road already once before and the hitch in Gibbs’ breathing was only momentary this time. He’d just begun moving in and out in long curling strokes when Jethro’s cell phone buzzed to life atop the nightstand.

“Don’t answer it.” Tony released Gibbs’ cock but didn’t cease the motion of his hand.

Gibbs reached for the buzzing phone against all his better judgment and desires. “Could be…important,” he panted, gasping as Tony went deep.

“Not nearly as important as this.” He licked a stripe up Jethro’s dick and slipped a second finger inside him.

“It’s Vance,” Jethro grunted, dropping an arm over his eyes. He fumbled the now-quiet phone back on the table-top and sank his fingernails into the hard wood. “Tony…Jesus fucking…you gotta stop.”

But Jethro’s hips weren’t telling him to stop, if anything they were begging for more and it was the most intoxicating thing Tony had ever seen. He flipped open the little bottle on the bed beside him again and quickly slicked his cock, eager to feel the tight embrace of Jethro’s body surrounding him completely. He was about to withdraw his fingers when Gibbs’ phone began buzzing again, joined a moment later by his own from the opposite side of the bed.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Tony ground out from between clenched teeth.

Jethro grabbed his phone again, his own frustration written clearly over his features as he cleared his throat to answer. “Gibbs,” he barked tightly.

Tony waited, fingers still pressed tight inside Jethro’s ass.

“Yeah, we’ll be there.” Gibbs flipped the phone closed and took a deep breath. “Well, that wasn’t awkward at all.”

“This means we’re done, doesn’t it?” Tony sighed, pulling out gently and collapsing with his head on Jethro’s belly.

“For now. Vance has something. Couldn’t or wouldn’t tell me about it over the phone. Not sure which, but we’re going in.”

“And I was so looking forward to a _hot_ shower this morning.” Tony gave his cock a couple of parting strokes as he rolled to the other side of the bed to pick up his phone. “McGee.” He looked up to where Gibbs was pulling clothes out of the bag he’d brought with him. “Should probably see what he wants.”

“He’ll be on his way in too. Call him from the car, we need to get moving.”

Tony took half a moment to appreciate the fact that Gibbs was wandering his bedroom gloriously naked with the lingering remnants of an impressive erection and then sighed his deep disappointment. “Think I liked it better at the cabin, no rude interruptions.”

“Hey.” Jethro moved in close, pressing Tony backwards against the hopelessly tangled sheets. “We’ll pick this back up later.”

There was something in Gibbs’ voice, something that Tony recognized, hidden almost imperceptibly beneath the lusty affection. “What did Vance say to you?”

Gibbs pulled back and narrowed his eyes a little before giving up the ruse. “It’s what he didn’t say. Something’s not right.”

“You think this is bad? Maybe they caught him,” Tony supplied hopefully, knowing exactly how unlikely that scenario was.

Jethro shook his head. “If they’d have caught him, we’d have heard already.”

“More murders?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t think so. Something in Vance’s voice…” Gibbs seemed to realize he had been talking out loud, sharing the inner workings of his gut with Tony as he had done with no other before, and shook himself out of it. “We’re not gonna find out by sitting here. Hit the shower. I’ll be there in a second.”

“Always knew you were a bossy bottom at heart, Gibbs,” Tony lobbed playfully from the bathroom doorway.

“Yeah,” Gibbs said all too quietly, seeming intensely distracted by one of his work boots which he turned over and over in his hands.

Tony’s face fell at Jethro’s furrowed brow. His own gut was beginning to churn.

 

 

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I'm beginning to tie up all of the loose ends and move toward the ending of this fic. This chapter may seem a little choppy but there were a number of things which needed to be accomplished. There are LOTS of POV changes happening here but I've marked them all with transition lines. Hopefully you'll be able to follow who's head we're in. I believe there will be just one more chapter and an epilogue to this fic, though this chapter ran the length of two chapters so you never know. My plan is for one.   
> Thank you for reading and following this story. It is now being updated in tandem with ff.net

 

Abby growled in frustration as they hit another wall. “Why can’t there be DNA, or spectral analysis or…or fingerprints or something for me to sink my _teeth_ into? Science never fails me.” She hung her head. “I feel like I’m letting Gibbs down.”

“What about email?” Tim proposed hopefully.

“You don’t think I’ve run Estes’ emails backward and forward same as you, McGee? Besides the fact that a Tibetan monk sends more correspondence than this guy, everything I did find was squeaky clean, not to mention bo-ring. Not even a hint of an evil secret code word.” She seemed tremendously disappointed.

Tim nodded. “What about Langstaff? Or any of the other marines in Estes’ unit? Gibbs said he thought there might have been other accomplices, people Estes was working with on something much bigger.” He was grasping for anything useful.

Abby’s eyes lit up. “They could have used another email we don’t know about, something unofficial that wasn’t immediately obvious. The defense department logs and tracks all IP addresses and messages from active combat zones and barracks. We _could_ try running a key word search or looking for any account that isn’t easily traceable, but as Ziva says, ‘It will be like looking for a needle in a needlestack’.”

“Better than nothing,” Tim arched a brow.

“Right you are, Tim. Right you are.” Abby cracker her knuckles and flexed her silver laden fingers.

“Of course it will mean hacking the DOD’s server logs,” he said casually.

“I _know.”_ She grinned wickedly.

Tim smiled as she pushed him aside a little and promptly got back to work, unblinking as she refocused intently on the screen before her with new purpose.

* * *

 

Tim looked down at Abby’s somnolent smile, knowing he would have to wake her eventually but unable to give up the seeming perfection of the moment to the chaos which would certainly ensue. The ache in his chest as he watched her sleep made him realize there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do to keep that blissfully peaceful look on her face.

They’d made it until about 4am, sifting through one email after another, hitting seemingly dead ends each time, but Tim’s coffee maker was no substitute for the Caf-Pow machine, and Abby had slowly wound down like a clockwork toy as their leads dried up and names and numbers began to blur before their eyes. Insisting that she could push on through until morning even as her eyelids began to drift closed, she’d gratefully accepted the oversized MIT T-shirt he’d offered her and begun to strip out of her own clothing in the middle of the living room, seemingly without a thought for his presence.

Tim had offered her the bed but she wouldn’t accept unless he agreed to join her, something he wasn’t completely sure he trusted himself with even so many years after the termination of their romantic relationship. More to the point, it was the new and disturbing twinkle in Abby’s eye he didn’t trust. Eventually she’d curled up in a corner of the couch instead, long legs tucked beneath her. The t-shirt covered more than Tim secretly would have liked and less than he was really prepared to handle.

Tucking a blanket around Abby’s shoulders, Tim took a seat on the opposite end of the couch and tried to put some sort of framework around the last 24 hours. The events at Gibbs’ house were still a whirling blur of memory and emotion and despite Abby’s reassurances and enthusiasm for the drastic change in relationship between two of their teammates, he still wasn’t exactly ready to share in the celebration.

When he really thought it out, he realized Tony wasn’t the majority of the problem for him. DiNozzo was DiNozzo and Tim had long ago accepted the fact that his sometime mentor, longtime friend, and all around pain in the ass SFA was pretty indiscriminate when it came to where he stuck his dick. Though, to give him just a little credit, Tony had been rather quiet about his sexual exploits for the last year or so. Tim had chalked it up to Tony being over forty and gaining a little bit of maturity-or, if Karma was on his side, a dry streak induced by erectile dysfunction. In fact, he couldn’t remember when Tony had gone so long without bragging about at least a dozen conquests. Maybe when he was fucking Ziva that one summer, or when he was working the case with Jeanne, but something really had been different about him for the last year. Perhaps Abby was right and there had been something between Gibbs and Tony long before the events of the past week.

Whether he liked it or not, the real problem for Tim was Gibbs. No matter how he tried to work through it, around it, or under it, there was just no getting past the fact that the man he looked up to, the man whose approval he had sought since the moment he’d met him, the man he respected more than he respected his own father, had betrayed the very rules that the foundations of his life were built on. And if Gibbs had kept this part of himself hidden, could seemingly laugh in the face of all that he had taught Tim to respect and believe in, was every single thing he knew about Gibbs just a series of lies? The rational part of him knew that wasn’t true but the betrayed son kept turning the situation over and over in his mind, refusing to let it go and move forward like he knew he should.

Glancing at the clock, Tim realized sleep wasn’t likely to be an option for him. If he couldn’t sleep, he might as well work even if it meant continuously slamming his head against the wall for a few more hours.

He went back over their notes on all of the victims in Estes’ journal. Abby had been bothered by a random digit at the end of the detainee ID numbers which didn’t seem to correspond to anything and didn’t match the detention facility’s ID system. They’d extracted all of the numbers, fed them into the computer and tried to come up with some sort of meaning, alphabetical or otherwise, failing miserably each time.

Tapping the keyboard, Tim brought up the list of victims one more time. After hours of staring at a screen, he had nearly memorized every name and detail and now they swam before his eyes. Whether it was the silence, the coffee, or some other mundane detail, a thought suddenly broke through the cloud of his brain like a lightning bolt.

After a few taps of his fingers, the names rearranged themselves in a somewhat familiar configuration. A moment later he had only those numbers which were not part of the ID on the display and this new order gave him an idea.Ten minutes later he was rousing Abby with a triumphant grin on his face.

“You change your mind about the bed?” she mumbled sleepily, stretching like a cat so that the t-shirt rode up higher on her thighs, giving Tim an incredibly distracting view of her skull and cross bones panties.

“Think I got something.” He managed to pull his eyes back up to her face as she finally focused on him.

“What? And you didn’t wake me?” She bolted off the couch and over to the computer, sleep a sudden and distant memory.

“I wanted to make sure. I mean, I’m still not sure, sure, but I’m pretty sure.” Tim scooted in beside her.

“GPS coordinates?” She looked at the map he had brought up after feeding the newly ordered numbers into a GPS locator.

“The total number of extra digits is right to correspond to degrees, minutes, and seconds of latitude and longitude. I tried the ID’s in every combination and plotted each one just to be sure.” He pointed to a series of hundreds of markers scattered across a global grid. “A bunch landed smack in the middle of the ocean and others in areas that seemed too remote or distant from a target of any kind to have significance, but this one,” Tim zoomed in on one location not far from DC, “was far more interesting. _And_ it corresponds perfectly to the order of imprisonment for the detainees.”

 “How did we not think of this before?”

“Maybe we were just too close to it.” Tim shrugged “Couldn’t see what was right in front of us.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth he realized that they had a much broader application and he didn’t miss Abby’s raised eyebrow.

“We should call Gibbs.” Abby’s fingers moved over the keyboard, refining Tim’s work.

“We don’t know what this means yet. Besides, it’s 6am. Weren’t you the one who said we should let them sleep?” He knew she was right and that he was only making excuses to put off the inevitable meeting with Gibbs and DiNozzo. He kept hoping that something would come along and settle his mind on the matter.

“Fine. But you can’t avoid talking to him forever, Timmy.” Her tone was not without sympathy. “If these are GPS coordinates, we need to isolate and find out as much as we can about this location and then find out whether there might be any possible link to Estes or anyone else involved. You start on that, I’ll hit the shower first, but at 0700 we call Gibbs regardless, deal?”

“Deal,” he agreed.

“You know we could speed this whole process up if we…” She grinned evilly and inclined her head in the direction of the shower, clearly preparing to strip out of his shirt.

“Somehow I don’t think that will make things go faster, Abby. Besides, I know you’re not serious.” While she had always liked to tease him and he enjoyed the flirtatious banter, he knew that she was using it now as a distraction from the much weightier thoughts rolling around in his head. It was almost working but he refused to look up from what he was doing. A moment later he felt her fingertips beneath her chin.

“Things do change, Tim. If what’s going on with Tony and Gibbs hasn’t convinced you of that, I don’t know what will.”

Tim blinked at the image of her naked back and disappearing into his bedroom. It took a few moments for him to remember to breathe.

* * *

 

“This isn’t good.” Tim retrieved the zip drive from the side of his laptop and tucked it in his pocket, glancing down at his phone again.

“They’ll call back, Tim. I’m sure Vance talked to them too.” Abby stepped into the room, still dressed only in her underwear and tugging her own t-shirt over her head. When her eyes emerged, she found that McGee had turned away politely and she merely shook her head.

Finally, he cleared his throat awkwardly in the face of her recent nakedness. “Do you think I should call them again? It’s not like Gibbs not to answer, and Tony…”

“Maybe they’re in the middle of something.” Abby grinned wickedly.

“Eww,” Tim said automatically, slamming his eyes shut and refusing to let the image of that take hold. “You’re not helping,” he accused. “And seriously, eww.”

“Well, the sooner you stop staring at me and get dressed, the sooner we can get to NCIS and find out what’s going on. So get moving.” She sat down and began tugging on her thigh highs and boots.

“I wasn’t…you were…never mind,” he grumbled. “Did Vance say why he wanted us in? Any hints at all?”

“Nope. He didn’t seem surprised when I answered your phone though. I don’t think we give him enough credit sometimes.” She began fastening the long row of toggles up her calf.

“Great, one more thing I need to worry about. I just wish I had a chance to fill Gibbs in on everything before we got there. He doesn’t like surprises.”  

“And he’s definitely not going to like this one,” Abby agreed.

* * *

 

Gibbs was distracted and he didn’t particularly like the feeling. He knew he was too close to this case, too wrapped up in Estes’ head, letting himself be played by a monomaniacal psychopath, and yet he knew he had to be the one to bring him down, would not rest until he _was_ down.

Something about Vance’s phone call was still making the back of his brain itch. He’d gotten the definite sense that that Leon was choosing his words guardedly, was being far too careful for his liking, even in their brief conversation. To this point Vance had done nothing but support a full court press when it came to Estes even if he had pulled them back after the events of the previous night. Even being benched, Gibbs had had the sense that Leon was truly attempting to act in all of their best interests while still aggressively pursuing the case. Something in his voice this morning though…

The thought was pushed to the back of his head with all of the others he just didn’t have time for right now. He’d have his answers soon enough where Vance was concerned and hopefully Estes too if McGee’s phone message was anything to go by.

Jethro half-heard Tony’s conversation with McGee as their detail brought them to NCIS headquarters. His mind was like a maze, running every possible route of escape for Estes, every next move, until he came up against the inevitable wall of the unknown each time. He felt like a target, he felt out of control, and he was more than ready to get back into the driver’s seat.

Tony’s fingers brushing against his thigh brought Gibbs out of his head a little. The other man appeared to be concentrating on the city passing by them out the window. The touch seemed an accidental one, but he understood enough about Tony now to know that his focus was completely on this tiny connection between them, on the heat seeping through the fabric of his khakis, the slight twitch of muscle beneath his fingertips. Something about that touch brought calm to the center of the storm raging in his gut, to the center of his entire world.

“We’re pulling up now.” Tony ended his conversation with McGee as they entered the darkness of the parking garage.

“They’ve got something.” Gibbs turned to him. It wasn’t a question. “He call Vance first?” His voice was tight. He’d hated having Tim discover the changing nature of his and Tony’s relationship the way he did, hated the look of deep betrayal on the younger man’s face, but he’d hoped for better than this after Tim had some time to mull over their conversation.

“No way. Vance called them in same as us. Could be for the same thing he and Abby found but McGee thinks it’s unlikely. Guess what they’ve got isn’t the kind of thing that jumps right out. Said there was something in the journal? Something about ID numbers and GPS coordinates and dummy corporations? I’ll let him explain it. They’re right behind us and Ziva’s on her way in too.” Tony’s fingers slipped a little higher against the side of Gibbs’ thigh, pressed a little more firmly. “He sounded better. More McGeeish,” Tony said reassuringly.

Jethro nodded. At least it was something.

Out the door before the car had barely come to a stop, Gibbs moved around the back of the vehicle with purpose, feeling another wave of reassurance when Tony fell in at his shoulder and matched his pace without missing a beat. A second car was coming in behind them and they waited at the elevators while McGee and Abby joined them. Gibbs motioned both of their details to stand down and gave Tony a look that stopped him in his tracks as well. The quick nod of understanding as DiNozzo masterfully pulled Abby away from Tim and toward the second elevator made Jethro grateful as he always was for the level of perception the younger man could exercise when necessary.

Gibbs didn’t miss the somewhat envious glance Tim cast toward Tony and Abby as the doors of the elevator they had just entered slid smoothly closed and left them alone. Predictably, Jethro hit the stop button before they rose fully above the garage level. Suspended in this world between places, they stood together in seemingly interminable silence, Tim’s eyes on the floor, Jethro’s eyes on Tim, both waiting.

Jethro knew it was necessary for McGee to make the first move and he was willing to wait out his stubbornness whatever it took. He’d created this mess and done what he could to begin the cleanup process but it was going to take both of them to put it right again. Thankfully, he didn’t have long to wait. Gibbs saw the rise in Tim’s shoulders first, the twitch of his jaw. He was fighting something inside of himself and whichever side won would determine whether or not their relationship was mendable on any level. When deep green eyes finally rose up to meet his, Gibbs read every conflicting emotion immediately but kept his own gaze passive and patient. This was what he’d been waiting for, the inevitable cusp of decisiveness.

“I meant every word I said last night, Tim. That hasn’t changed, including the fact that I owed you an apology. But what you got is all I have to give and the rest is up to you. You have a choice to make, right here, right now, and there isn’t going to be a second chance. You’re either on my team one hundred percent or you’re not, there isn’t an in between. I can’t have you doubting me _or_ DiNozzo for even a split second out there or people are going to get killed, do you understand me?” Jethro stepped closer. He wasn’t menacing or threatening but he needed McGee to understand that he was deadly serious. “You either accept everything you know, everything I’ve told you and move on, or you just move on. I’ll get Vance to give you the very best reassignment possible. What’s it going to be?”

There was a moment in the silence when Jethro could see McGee teetering on the edge, a moment when every emotion, every image, memory, and misgiving was balanced perfectly with Tim’s loyalty to him, his love for him, and he could tell by the change in the set of Tim’s shoulders and the flare of resolution in his eyes the moment those scales tipped.

“I’m in.” McGee said firmly before softening just a little and relaxing his stance. “You know I could never not be in, Boss.”

“I know, Tim. Knew it the minute I picked you, and you’ve never let me down.” Jethro set his hand on McGee’s shoulder and squeezed, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation as well as his belief in their ability to move past it.

Too soon though, the moment was over and Gibbs stepped back, regarding Tim with steely eyes. “Now tell me what I need to know before I walk in that room with Vance, McGee.”

* * *

 

Tony didn’t know exactly what had happened during the 10 minutes McGee had spent alone with Gibbs in the elevator but as a keen observer of human behavior, he immediately knew two things: First, he and Jethro were forgiven, at least for the most part. Tim’s eyes still looked a little unsettled but the hunch of his shoulders was gone and the slight nod he’d given Tony as he passed his desk had spoken familiar volumes. Second, whatever McGee had told Gibbs had given him something to sink his teeth into. He’d come off the elevator with purpose in his stride, the uncertainty Tony had been witness to back in his apartment having seemingly vanished. Whatever else happened, he counted both of these as strong victories.

“Get me everything you can on these in the next ten minutes. Satellite feed, topography, whatever else you find. If someone sneezes within a mile radius, I want to know about it.” Gibbs tossed what looked like GPS coordinates on Tony’s desk.

“On it, Boss.” He held Jethro’s eyes for half a second and felt gravity shift as he turned and went to work.

“I believe the director is waiting for us in the conference room.” Ziva moved from behind her desk.

She’d already been in the bullpen when Tony had arrived and had jumped up at his entrance, demanding details. Admittedly, he felt a bit guilty over the fact that she had largely been left out of the loop after the events at Jethro’s house the night before and he’d filled her in as best as he could, trying not to bristle as she interrupted with two questions each time he answered one. After five minutes he’d understood all too well why Mossad was renowned for its interrogation techniques. Tony had never been so relieved to hear the ding of the elevator in his life.

“He can wait ten more minutes,” Gibbs barked. “Pull up everything on this corporation. I want owners, investors, anything else they have in their pockets.” Ziva took the piece of paper Gibbs handed her like a dog that had been favored by a particularly juicy scrap. Her brows knit together and she opened her mouth, seemingly poised to ask a question, but Jethro had already picked up the phone and begun dialing. Instead, she did as asked, eyes narrowing as she sat down and focused on the screen before her.

 Having lost track of time and still engrossed in his task, Tony suddenly felt a presence behind him and craned his neck to find Vance watching from above, chewing thoughtfully on his toothpick, a habit which Tony had noticed decreasing of late. He turned back to his computer and redoubled his efforts, trying to ignore the pinprick feeling of eyes at the back of his head.

“Agent Gibbs.” A moment later Vance’s voice came from a slightly closer location and Tony didn’t have to look up to know that the director had descended the first flight of steps to the bullpen.

“Just following up on a lead, Director,” Gibbs acknowledged without stopping what he was doing.

Tony tried to focus but it was impossible not to feel the tension that had suddenly fallen on the space around them.

“Agent Gibbs, I called you in because I have vital information to share with you and your team. I’m sorry, but time is of the essence.” Vance’s voice was calm but assertive.

“Does your vital information include Estes being either dead or in Federal custody, Leon?” Gibb’s tone was just shy of entirely insubordinate.

“It does not.” Vance replied stiffly.

Jethro stood behind his desk and went eye to eye with NCIS’s Director. “Then I have vital information to share with _you_ , Director, but you’re going to need to give me ten more minutes.”

The war of wills was a silent one but in the end it was Gibbs who inevitably triumphed. “Fine. Ten minutes, no more. I’ll try to keep the Sec Nav entertained until then. Whatever you’re working on better be damn good, Agent Gibbs.”

Tony couldn’t help but hear the odd curiosity-tinged resignation in Vance’s voice but something else was passing between the two older men that he couldn’t begin to fathom. Gibbs stayed standing as Vance’s soft footfalls retreated back to the upper level.

“Well, you heard him,” Gibbs glanced around at the 3 sets of eyes that were now glued to him, “ten minutes and we better have something damn good. Forward whatever you get to McGee so he can put it together with the work he and Abby have already done.”

“Sec Nav’s here? What do you think that’s all about?” Tony leaned over and whispered to Tim.

“Beats me,” Tim murmured nervously.

“You two solve this case yet?” Gibbs barked.

“No, Boss,” they replied in tandem.

“Then get back to work.” He resumed his seat and hammered at the keys of his computer.

Tony couldn’t help the small grin that turned up the corners of his mouth as he refocused. They hadn’t brought Estes down yet but maybe, just maybe, things were going to turn out alright after all.

* * *

 

“Leon, this guy isn’t stupid. Look how far he’s gotten, what he’s gotten away with. This is a man who murdered at least six women that we know about in a secured detention facility and managed to make it look like suicide. You’re telling me I have to ignore all of those deaths, but even if I was willing to do that, he _still_ mutilated two marines, killed two civilians, and now you tell me he managed to skip town with half an arsenal. You really think he’s gonna let us track him with a damn rental car Lo-jack?” Gibbs fumed in the privacy of Vance’s office, not really caring that the Secretary of the Navy sat propped against the edge of the director’s desk. “What the hell aren’t you telling me, Leon, because I’m not about to walk into an ambush when my gut says Estes isn’t where every other agency in the US thinks he is.”

“He’s telling you all that he can tell you, Agent Gibbs, and for that I truly am sorry. I’ve tied Director Vance’s hands, but my own are tied even tighter. There are matters of national and international security at play here far greater than you can imagine.” Jarvis’ tone was cool, calm, and actually bordering on sympathetic.

“All due respect, Mr. Secretary, but you’d probably be surprised by exactly what I can imagine.” Gibbs grunted.

“Without evidence to the contrary, Jethro, this is the only hope we’ve got. I’ve been given a 24 hour window, no more.” He looked to Jarvis who remained silent.

“Well then let me bring in Agent McGee and give you some evidence to the contrary, Leon.” Gibbs stood firm.

Vance again glanced at Jarvis who nodded almost imperceptibly. “I’m willing to entertain other scenarios but so help me, Gibbs, they better be based on more than just your gut.” He walked over to the intercom on his desk. “Find Agent McGee and have him brought to my office please.”

“You don’t think all three of them are pacing outside that door right now?” Gibbs inclined his head toward the heavy steel door as it burst open and McGee half stumbled into the room as though he’d been pushed.

“You asked to see me, Director? Mr. Secretary,” Tim acknowledged a little nervously, gaze darting around the room.

“Show ‘em, McGee.” Gibbs’ voice was firm but conveyed his clear confidence in the younger agent’s abilities.

Tim’s mouth opened and shut reflexively but he gathered himself quickly. “If I may, Director?” He didn’t wait for an answer as he plugged his laptop into the conference table console and installed the thumb drive which held the information he and Abby had initially gathered as well as the added intel the team had put together in the last frantic few moments. Managing to explain how they had stumbled on their theory as well as where it had led them-with only a few minor digressions and fumbles- Tim was happy to look up and see that everyone in the room still seemed to be following him.

“The coordinates are right in the center of an 800 acre plot of land near the West Virginia border. It’s virtually surrounded by National Forest. If you wanted isolated, this is about as good as it gets.” He brought up the satellite imagery Tony had downloaded. “There are several buildings on the property but they are all centrally located, somewhat like a compound. On the northern part of the property there are some old fire roads which look like they might be accessible, but otherwise there appears to be only one maintained driveway in and out. The buildings are set back off the main road by almost a quarter of a mile and we believe this is some pretty heavy duty fencing around the core perimeter.” He referenced points on the satellite image.

“You think Estes was building himself a Mt. Carmel right here in Virginia?” Vance’s fingers curled around the edge of his desk.

“Think maybe that was his plan,” Gibbs nodded. “Don’t think he counted on NCIS getting in the way, though. He made a miscalculation with Gilmore and Fuller and I think he knows it.”

“So he leads us on some wild goose chase to the family farm while he licks his wounds in the middle of the woods? What’s in this for Estes?” Vance asked thoughtfully.

“Don’t know, Leon. What I do know is that you’ve just told me there’s a garage full of missing weaponry including C4, RPGs, and God knows what else out there. We send our men to the most obvious location, the one Estes almost seems to be leading us to, and we’re sitting ducks.” The room had turned in their favor and Gibbs knew it. Vance, at the very least, was sold, but there was still a hardness around Jarvis’ mouth that spoke of discontent with this new line of thinking.

“And how do we know for certain that these truly are GPS coordinates or that they’re even relevant to our case? I know it’s not like you but I’d hate to think you were reading more into this based on personal feelings than facts.” Jarvis’ posture was still relaxed though he had crossed his arms over his chest and was looking speculatively at the monitors displaying McGee’s findings.

Rather than answer, Gibbs simply turned back to McGee and nodded.

 “We searched public record trying to find out who owned the property. Turns out it was sold off at auction about five years ago and purchased by a small land development corporation under the name Janston-Sneeth. It didn’t take us long to figure out that the name is simply an anagram for Jonathan Estes. I’ve uh…got some experience with anagrams and pseudonyms.” McGee colored slightly before clearing his throat and moving on. “Once we had the name we ran it through a keyword search of the DOD’s email database and we found several references from Estes, Langstaff, and a few other officers and enlisted scattered among the units that were deployed at the same time as Langstaff’s.”

“I’ll be damned,” Jarvis muttered.

“I hope to hell that means what I think it means, Mr. Secretary, but we’ve got more if it doesn’t.” Gibbs gestured for McGee to hold for a moment.

Jarvis’ jaw worked in frustration or possibly reluctance, but it was clear now that he was convinced. “I’ll need to make some calls,” he said gravely.

Gibbs nodded. “We’ll be here.” He gave Vance a heavy look as he left the room with McGee in tow. Tony and Ziva fell in behind him as he passed through the doors. They’d crossed the first hurdle but there was a long race yet to go.

* * *

 

What a difference a week could make.

Tony’s thoughts were an odd mix as Team Gibbs assembled with Balboa’s team in the second floor conference room. A week ago he’d sat at this very table, in this very chair, watching the tension in Gibbs’ jaw, listening to his clipped tone, chewing thoughtfully on the feeling that something was being held back. Today as he listened to Vance detail what he’d learned from Sec Nav in the last few hours, Tony could actually feel the gaping holes in the information they were being fed. Everything about it felt too neat, too perfectly packaged, especially for an inter-agency operation. He didn’t need Gibbs’ gut to tell him that he should pay close attention to what _wasn’t_ being said.

Gibbs stood beside the director, eyes glued to the satellite image of Estes’ possible location. There was a stiffness to his body language beyond the usual, something Tony was pretty sure he would have noticed even before the events of the past week, and something that worried him for reasons he couldn’t explain. The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming and he didn’t like it one bit.

“With that in addition to the new intel brought to light by Agent Gibbs’ team, you can see that we have our hands full. We have very little time to put together an insertion plan and the location is remote. There are a lot of unknowns at this point, too many for my liking.” He glanced at Gibbs. “I’ve been working with the directors of the other agencies for the last hour and they’ve agreed to share relevant intelligence in order to make this run as smoothly as possible. Agent Gibbs and his team will be taking the lead on planning and on the ground but I want to emphasize again that we have a very small window of opportunity. We can’t afford to make mistakes for _any_ reason.” Vance’s eyes went to Jethro and Tony recalled the conversation between the two in Jethro’s living room, the reason they’d been benched last night when half the district was looking for Estes.

“Once your teams are on the ground we’ll be monitoring your positions and feeding you information from MTAC. I want a workable plan in motion in the next four hours. Let’s go, people,” Vance said by way of dismissal.

Murmurs passed between the assembled NCIS teams, all of them looking to Gibbs for direction on where to go next.

“DiNozzo, you’re with me. Everyone else do whatever the hell you need to do and meet back here in ten. We’re not breaking again until we’ve got at least two workable operations to move on.” Jethro gestured vaguely to those in the room as he swept through it.

Tony felt the quick surge of adrenalin at the sound of his name from Gibbs’ lips. He’d been so focused on what was being said, on reading between the lines and wondering how in the ever loving hell they were going to pull something like this off that his head had already begun running scenarios even though important details were still lacking. Now he half-jumped out of his chair, long legs carrying him to Jethro’s side in a few quick strides. He glanced back with a half shrug at Ziva and McGee and wondered if the speculative looks they were currently giving him as he left alone with Gibbs would ever disappear again. Even as the question entered his head he knew the answer, but even so, it was a price he was willing to pay.

Expecting Gibbs to head for the privacy of the elevator, Tony had to do a quick side-step to keep up as the older man led him at a rapid pace down the stairs and around the corner toward interrogation. Jethro didn’t bother knocking as he entered an observation room without slowing. He was halfway across the room before Tony made it through the doorway.

“Lock it,” Gibbs said without turning around, his tone tight and clipped.

He did as requested, feeling his stomach knot up at something unrecognizable in the other man’s voice.

Jethro planted his palms against the darkened window, leaned heavily into it with his head down between his shoulders. His fingers curled against the glass like they were trying to press through the slick and unforgiving surface. “Tell me I can’t leave you behind on this op, Tony. Tell me I’m crazy to even be thinking about it, because right now I’m wishing with everything I got that I can come up with any reason at all to justify keeping you here on lockdown.”

“What?” Tony’s head spun, trying to follow wherever Jethro’s clearly troubled mind had gotten to. “There is no way in hell you’re benching me for this. You need me and you know it.”

“I do need you.” Jethro rounded on him now, eyes wild and desperate. “I need you safe, I need you whole. Jesus, Tony…I need you out of my head when I go after him. Don’t you understand?”

“So tying me to a chair with an armed guard while you go get Estes is your solution? Leaving me behind to worry about who in the hell is gonna have your back better than I can, to watch and wait? I’m not one of your wives, Gibbs, I’m your partner. I’m your God Damn _team_. I go where you go whether you like it or not and not even firing me is gonna change that right now.”

The sound of the chair that Jethro sent crashing into the opposite wall and subsequently the floor was bound to draw some attention to their location but Tony didn’t care. There was no way he was backing down.

“Damnit, it wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Jethro ran a shaking hand through his hair and looked at Tony with eyes that begged him to understand.

“What happened to the man who spent a year thinking this all through?” Tony said as gently as he could under the current circumstances. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you surer of anything than you were when I woke up with you on that mountain, Jethro, and I felt it this morning when you kissed me. Nothing’s changed.” He advanced slowly and reached out to slide the flat of his palm up Jethro’s forearm to his shoulder, feeling tight muscle bunch and quiver beneath his touch. He’d never seen this side of Gibbs before last night, this raw and emotional uncertainty, and he was still a little unsure how to respond.

“You read the damn love note he left me at the gate. He wants to kill you, to take from me like he thinks I took from him. That shot through my window wasn’t for me, Tony, it was for you. We both know it. And I wouldn’t…” The words trailed off, strangled in his throat as Tony stepped closer, slipped strong fingers behind his neck.

“Wouldn’t what?” Tony prompted. For better or worse they were going to get this out in the open. Something was obviously eating at Gibbs and even if he didn’t really have a clue how to deal with the suddenly broken-looking man before him, he knew they couldn’t leave this room, couldn’t begin the hunt for Estes, until they’d found a way through it.

Jethro’s fingers clutched fistfuls of Tony’s shirt, seemingly heedless of the straining fabric as he bowed forward and set his forehead against the crux of the other man’s neck and shoulder. “I wouldn’t survive losing you now.”

Tony felt the impact of the words against his chest, felt them sink in and tighten around his heart. There was heat pushing and pulsing behind his eyes but he refused to let it spill over. The feeling that he should say something, that he should have a response as profound as the revelation that had just been laid upon him, did not produce any words that seemed to measure up to the moment. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Jethro and pressed his lips to the silver of his hair in silence.

“Thinking about it for a year didn’t mean…Jesus, I thought I could plan for this. I thought I could handle…”Jethro seemed to be grasping for the right words and he pressed harder into the warmth of Tony’s body. “I never expected to feel this way again, not this strong. I didn’t think it was possible.”

They stood in silence for a moment and the tension ebbed slightly. “Love you too, you know,” Tony whispered. “You don’t think it would kill me to lose you? That I haven’t been living with that weight on my shoulders for longer than you can even imagine?”

Jethro’s mouth was suddenly on him, hard and desperate. Searching lips pressed him open as slightly trembling hands framed his face, calloused thumbs stroking lightly across his cheeks. For a moment they were back on the mountain beneath the stars, ice cold air nipping at their noses, no thoughts of Estes or NCIS able to penetrate the armor of their passion.  

When they finally broke apart, Gibbs seemed somewhat more together, centered and determined as he released his hold on Tony’s shirt and straightened. “I promised you I would find a way to make this work and I will.” Jethro held his eyes steadily.

“ _We_ will make this work,” Tony emphasized. “And just so you know, that doesn’t involve you sneaking off on some kamikaze mission. We make a plan first.”

Jethro nodded and Tony could see the reluctance there, see that this very thought had indeed been floating through his mind. “Then we’d better get started.”

Tony smiled as Jethro strode from the room with purpose, but his face fell as the gravity of the situation washed over him again, punctuated by the image of two dead marines on a mountaintop. They needed a _really_ good plan.


End file.
